Tempting Fate
by Mylee
Summary: This fic is set a few years after the series ended. It is mainly a Trixie/Jim fic with the other Bob-Whites in attendance.
1. Chapter 1

Tempting Fate

Chapter One

Pale blue moonlight spilled through the trees, providing the only light for the couple as they traveled up a well-worn, and well-known, path. Lovely blonde curls bounced merrily as she walked beside her fiancé on a sultry late July evening, her hand caught in his, and wide smile splitting her face . "Isn't this exciting?" Trixie exclaimed gaily, exhilarated about spending an entire evening with Jim, completely and totally alone.

"And you don't even know where we're going yet," he teased her gently, squeezing her hand as they continued to walk.

"I know where we're going," she shot back quickly and then added a short shrug of her shoulder. "I just don't know what we're going to find there."

"Something "perfectly perfect"," he replied with a grin, gently mocking his sister's favorite phrase.

She grinned her agreement, happiness radiating from her, as they continued their walk to Ten Acres. Her mind traveled back to eight years ago, when she and Honey had first set foot on the old mansion and had found the most wonderful boy in the world inside. Her thirteen-year old mind hadn't been able to clearly identify the significance of that moment or how it would affect the rest of her life. All she had known at the time was the pure joy of finding and helping out a new friend. Now here they stood, the very best of friends, only a year away from becoming partners in life.

Before they knew it they had reached their destination. Jim paused at the end of the path. There were still times when he could swear he saw the old, dilapidated mansion. Tonight was one of those nights. He had to shake his head to clear away the ghostly vision and focused in on the present. In its place was a brand new, two-story farmhouse, the color of aged wine. Dark gray shutters adorned each window. A large wrap-around porch greeted all visitors, promising a relaxing time for all who entered, and lead up the front door.

Forgetting his small flight into fancy, Jim hurried up the steps, eager to enter the house that was theirs. He threw open the front door, flicked on the lights, and called back to Trixie, "Come on, slowpoke! It's time to get moving!"

Trixie giggled as she ended her perusal of the home and walked up the steps. She followed Jim inside, excited to see what Jim wanted to show her. She stopped in the doorway. "It's certainly come a long way since the last time I was here," she commented, noting the new dry wall that had been set up, as well as the lovely hardwood floors that were laid down. The outlets were still exposed; the ceiling had wires dripping from it; and the light fixtures were merely bulbs. She ran her hand on the wall and then rubbed her hands on her shorts to get off the dry wall dust the collected there.

"Still more to do," he replied with his lopsided grin, proud of all that had been accomplished. "I know that. We can stop to peruse the rest of the inside later."

"Peruse?" She couldn't help it. She had to stop and laugh. "That's quite a word, Jim. I think you've been spending a little too much time with Mart."

Jim's step slowed a bit as he looked back at her, a frown marring his handsome face. "Ah, that would be a little hard to do right now, don't you think? I mean, Mart hasn't been around much lately. It, well, it feels like he's been avoiding me."

"That's true. I hadn't realized that you felt that way, too." Trixie stopped and nervously chewed on her bottom lip, concerned about her older brother. "You see, I didn't think he was avoiding you…I thought he was avoiding _me_."

"He hasn't been himself, that's for sure," he answered and appeared to ponder the matter a little more. "In fact, I think I'm going to have to set one-half of the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency on him."

"I suppose you mean me, since Honey is in England with your parents?" When he nodded, she nodded back. Then she hummed, pretending to consider the matter, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "As you know, a good detective always hears the particulars of a case, before agreeing to it."

"Is that what you've been learning at Detective School?" he questioned, his own eyes shining with humor.

She knew that he always referred to NCC, New York City College, the college Trixie, Honey and Di attended, as the "Detective School." Trixie and Honey majored in criminal justice in order to pursue their dream of opening a detective agency; Di studied a combination of art and education. She planned on teaching art when she graduated. "Exactly" she chimed in, trying to keep her features schooled and failing miserably.

"Well, back to the particulars." Jim rubbed his chin and wondered, "What do you do when one good friend, or brother, in your case, gradually stops doing his favorite things with you?"

Trixie pretended to take out a notebook. "Don't mind me," she said as she blew on her finger. " I'm simply getting ready to take notes. Detectives do need to be thorough. Please, continue."

Some of the humor faded from his face. "Well, said friend and brother has recently started backing out of events together, even events that include food, and has also curiously seemed to stop using his big word in our presence. In fact, the only person he seems to have time for his the lovely Diana."

It was Trixie's turn to scratch her chin. "You don't say," she murmured, and jotted it down again in the air. "Well, it seems to me that one sister is really going to have to start digging into one slightly uncommunicative brother's life and find out what's wrong with him."

"I have all the faith in the world in you," he said with a chuck on her chin. "If anyone can get to the bottom of this mystery, it is you. Mart Belden's not going to know what hit him!"

"I'll get right on this case, then," she said mischievously and, with a soft giggle, turned on her heel, preparing to leave the house.

"Whoa, whoa," he exclaimed, caught off guard. He held onto her by the elbow. "Now, just where do you think you're going, Detective Belden?"

Trixie grinned impishly, laughing inwardly at him. "Why, to start my new case, of case!" she exclaimed with feigned surprise. "What else do you think I'd be doing? You know a dedicated detective always puts their case first."

"I don't think so." He grabbed both of her elbows and hauled her to him, reveling in the feel of her body so close to his. "I think the case can wait. Now is certainly not the time for _that._"

Laughing, she batted her eyelashes at him and inched her body even closer to his, so close that she could smell his cologne. "Why, what else did you have in mind?" she replied with mock innocence, having no intention at all of pursuing her newest "case".

He shook his head and gently guided her towards the staircase, being careful not to take his hands off of her. "If you haven't forgotten, I've already retained your services for the evening, _Detective Belden_. We'll worry about the mysterious Mart later."

She choked back a startled giggle. "Services?"

He didn't respond, just grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the stairs. "Not that I really need to warn you but be careful, Trix. It's a little dark on the stairway. Follow me." Together they ascended the stairs. The railing hadn't been attached yet; the walls weren't painted. The house itself was truly a work in progress. The steps weren't finished but serviceable.

They made it to the hallway. The top floor resembled the bottom. Dry-walled walls, plain floors, not hardwood up here, there were more wires dangling down from the unfinished ceiling. Electrical outlets weren't covered; were merely hanging. Trixie ignored the unfinished work. Instead, she stopped for a moment and pictured in her mind what the house would look like when it was completely done. A huge smile wreathed her face at all of the possibilities.

Jim stopped short, mesmerized as always by the beauty of her smile. "I know it's coming along slowly, Trixie," he whispered in a hushed tone. "But it'll get there."

"Oh…the house," she said, her blue eyes glinting. "Of course it will, Jim." she exclaimed. "You know I have total faith in you…and the contractor you hired."

"Well, let's keep going, shall we?" He headed on down the hall. They passed six doorless rooms until he stopped short at the last one. This doorway was different. A new mahogany door stood, baring their way into the room.

"A new door," she noted approvingly and ran her hands along it. "It's very nice."

He winked at her, wondering what she would say about the rest of his surprise. "There's more, Trix." He opened the door with a flourish, flicked on the light, and said, "After you."

She stepped through the door and gasped. She didn't even feel his hands on her hips as she looked at the room. "Oh, Jim," she breathed excitedly, her wide blue eyes marveling at the changes inside. "It's wonderful!"

Where all of the other rooms where in various stages of work, this room was different. The walls were painted a beautiful shade of pale blue, as per Trixie's request. Light gleamed off the two glossy new dressers, large enough to hold their wardrobes. His and her closet doors marked the walk-in closets for each of them. The ceiling in here was completed, with a large ceiling fan and lights above it. The hardwood floors matched the finished wainscoting. Dainty white curtains adorned the open windows, blowing gently with the midsummer breeze. There was also a large king-size sleigh bed, set in the middle of the room, decorated in darker blue sheets and an absurd amount of pillows, inviting any one who entered the room to rest on it.

Trixie stepped further into the room, twirling around in circles slowly to catch all of the sights of their room. Her smile spread wider after she had completed her assessment of what would be their bedroom.

Jim stepped closer to her, happy to see the excitement and approval shining on her expressive face. It was never hard for him to see how she was feeling. "I take it you like?"

She stopped, giggled again, and then threw herself into his waiting arms. "It's wonderful, Jim. Is this what you've been doing the past week?"

He nodded in agreement. "Your detective skills are right on the money…again, I might add." He pulled her closer to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I wanted to surprise you," he murmured into her ear.

"You certainly did." She laid her head on his shoulders. "So you have finished the kitchen, one bathroom, and our bedroom."

His low sigh of contentment wasn't lost on her, nor the way his arms slid around her and started to gently knead her hips. "I always told you that those were the only three rooms I really needed. Don't worry. I'll keep working on the rest of the house, with the help of our contractor, but now I'll have a place to stay when I come back from the City." Jim had recently finished his Masters in Business and was now starting on his Doctorate in Education at Columbia in order to help him meet his dream of opening his own school for orphaned boys.

"It's a shame my parents wouldn't let me stay with you when I'm home on vacation," she mumbled into his shirt, grimacing slightly at the reaction her parents would have if she were to ask them.

"Not a chance." He gave a short burst of laughter. "I don't think that's going to happen. At least," he amended as he thought of their wedding date, "not until after July 15."

"Less than a year away now," she murmured back. "Won't that be lovely, Jim?"

He whirled her around the room, her giggles resounding through the room like light reflecting off of crystal. After a while he slowed down, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Her giggles slowed when she saw the intense look in his eyes. And then they stopped completely as his mouth claimed hers with a hunger that they could never seem to quite satisfy.

Very carefully, very slowly, she opened her mouth to him. As always at times like these, time stood still for them until it was forgotten completely. When they finally remembered the primitive need for air, both of them were breathing heavily. "Oh, woe," she mumbled, her mind a complete blank, her heart beating out a wild tattoo that she prayed he couldn't hear. She rubbed her hand along his face, feeling the stubble that was would need to be shaved away in the morning, and buried her face in his chest.

"Oh, woe?" he repeated quietly, nuzzling her hair, as dazed as she was but more gifted at hiding it. "I think I need to try for a better response." And then it started again, his lips on hers, and all good sense flew out the window as it had ever since they had taken their relationship to the next level on the evening of their engagement, three months earlier.

"I don't think we're going to be able to wait for July 15 in order to christen our new bed," she moaned back between the string of never-ending kisses. She could feel his answering grin as he pressed a line of kisses down her neck.

"Much better response than "oh, woe"," he teased before pulling her even closer to him, his hands rubbing her back, and his eyes glinting with a sensual promise that could bring her to her knees. "And now you know my master plan for the evening."

"I don't see anything wrong with that plan. It's certainly becoming one of my favorites." Together they made their way to the bed; clothes falling haphazardly to the floor. The pale summer moon was the only witness to the all-consuming expression of love within.


	2. Chapter 2

Tempting Fate

Chapter Two

Afterwards, they lay in the bed, lying next to each other, their breathing matching in nearly perfect harmony. Jim absently played with her short blonde curls, wondering how he could bring up what had happened without worrying her too much. Finally, he concluded that there was no easy way to do it and he let out a low sigh.

Ever familiar with his moods, she lifted her head off the abundance of pillows and said, a questioning gleam in her eyes as she looked him square in the face, "Is there something wrong, Jim? You don't seem like yourself right now."

He wanted to laugh it off but couldn't. "Ah, Trix...," He started to add more but stopped, for once at a complete loss on how to handle a situation. Instead, he hugged her tighter to him, deciding that was much more pleasurable and worth putting off the inevitable.

She was having none of that. Frowning, she pushed off from his chest, still held loosely within the circle of his arms, and brushed a wayward curl away from her forehead. "Out with it, Frayne," she ordered as sternly as she could muster with only a light blanket to cover her naked form.

Normally he would have laughed at the picture she made. Irritation practically radiated from the tense lines of her body, an amusing contrast to her lack of attire. Only his Trixie could pull off naked annoyance, he decided with an inward chuckle. "It's like this, Belden," he replied with an attempt at humor that she clearly did not appreciate. Emerald green eyes showed the depth of his discomfort. His lips pursed together as he admitted, "We may have a problem."

"Jim, I get that," she said with her characteristic yet unladylike snort. Her short blonde curls danced as she shook her head. She wasn't sure yet if she should move from annoyed to angry and, although she wasn't even close to being a paragon of patience, she decided to give him the benefit of her doubt.

"Well," and here his face colored slightly, embarrassed to have to admit what had happened, "it could be nothing or, well, it could be an issue. I don't know yet." He had always carried an overabundance of responsibility and sensibility, which had caused some friction with his rather reckless and impulsive girlfriend in the past. Somehow, though, their rather differing personalities helped to add balance to the other, and their relationship had steadied and strengthened instead of dissolving and falling apart.

She clutched the blanket to her as it started to slide, a slight pink color stealing across her skin. Somehow she knew she didn't want to be uncovered for this discussion, whatever it was. "And…" Her intense stare prompted him to continue

He took a deep breath. "I'd say we'll know for sure in a few weeks," he responded weakly. He wanted to laugh at the exasperated look on her overly expressive face but didn't. The situation called for a much more serious demeanor from him.

"You're not exactly helping me out here," she complained, her sapphire blue eyes rolling disdainfully at his exceedingly slow advance on the subject. "Come _on_," she demanded, nearly exploding with impatience, and bopping him gently on the chest to amplify her point.

He took a deep breath, not surprised at all by her reaction, and rubbed the spot she had just hit. Even after all these years, patience was still a virtue she had trouble finding, but it didn't bother him as much as it had when they were teenagers. "The condom broke, Trix."

Her impatience flitted away like the wispy smoke of an extinguished candle. Her mouth dropped into a rounded O as her cheeks flushed deeply with the blasted pink pigment she so desperately hated. "Ohhh…ohhh…ohhh…ohhh," was all she was able to muster. Coherent speech seemed to be beyond her capability.

"Yeah," he agreed, mentally making a note that he never realized that someone could say "Oh" in so many different tones.

Trixie fell back against the pillow with a short thump, twirling a short yellow curl around her finger, and let the news sink in. She breathed in and out, just as normal as she had seconds earlier, but even that simple and natural movement felt different to her on some unknown, primitive level.

It was odd to see Trixie so quiet. Normally she was full of energy, moving around, talking a mile a minute, always on the restless side, and excited about the next event in her life, whether it was something small like going on a date to a new movie or big, such as helping plan a fund-raising event for a worthwhile charity. He hesitated before saying softly, "Trixie?"

"Umm?" she questioned, staring off into the distance, not really seeing the surroundings of what would be their bedroom in truth in less than a year.

He nudged her shoulder, a little unnerved by her prolonged silence. "Are you okay?"

She turned to him, a small smile dancing across her unpainted lips. "Yeah, Jim, believe it or not, I'm just fine."

"You sure?" He studied her face, noting the brilliant sparkle in her eyes, the way the edge of her lips turned up in a smile, and quickly came to the conclusion that she looked _happy_, which was not exactly how he had expected her to react his news. In fact, happiness would have been at the bottom of his list of expected emotions from her.

"Of course!" she insisted, settling back against his shoulder with a small sigh of contentment. She laid her head down and took a moment to revel in the masculine scent of his cologne. It always felt so good to be this close to him.

Incredibly, there was no tension in her body. She seemed to melt against him, as if this was another normal evening for them. "Not worried?" He couldn't believe how calm she was. While he seemed unable to utter sentences with more than two or three words in them, let alone carry on an intelligent conversation at the moment, she seemed perfectly at ease and comfortable.

Her fingers played across the muscles of his chest, her eyes peeping shyly up at him. "It wouldn't be awful, would it? A baby, I mean," she said softly, picturing the baby they may have made in her mind. While it certainly was daunting to hear about an unexpected outcome, she was surprised to find out that she was not scared of the consequences.

He, too, had thought about the baby they would have. Someday. In the distant future, not within the next nine months. "No, it wouldn't," he agreed, just as quietly.

"Besides," she said, thinking back to their conversation a few months earlier. "we're both smart people. We know the risks of our actions, Jim. We talked about them a few months ago, if you recall."

They had discussed the possible consequences of their choice and had decided that they could handle it, should anything unplanned occur. Both of them were secure in their love for each other and in the strength of their relationship and had decided to stop fighting the physical attraction that they felt for each other. With Trixie's last year in college approaching, Jim beginning his doctorate studies, the house at Ten Acres coming together beautifully, and their engagement settled, it had seemed like the next logical and very meaningful step for both of them.

"Anyway," she continued, surprised that she could make a joke at this serious of a moment. "I know how your mind works. There's no question in my mind that you'd have us married by Christmas if we happen to see that little pink line."

He started to relax and hugged her closer, shaking his head at her perception and how she well she really knew him. "October," he whispered in her ear.

His whisper caused shivers to go up and down her spine and she stifled a small giggle. "October is nice," she replied quietly. "It's very pretty then." She gave him a soft kiss on the side of his cheek.

It was his turn to sigh. "I changed my mind," he said with a decided nod, his strict tone not allowing for any kind of an argument from her. "September. It's a whole lot sooner than October."

This time she laughed, not surprised by his firm declaration. "That's my Jim!" Trixie exclaimed, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Then her humor abruptly stopped as she contemplated a few reactions to their possible news. It didn't make her feel quite as comfortable as she had a moment earlier. She gingerly broached it, biting her bottom lip nervously, "Could you imagine what our families would say?"

"Oh, the horror." He closed his eyes tightly to block out the image of four angry Belden men coming after him with fists raised, and one unhappy mother holding a large frying pan close to his head. "I don't want to imagine that, Trix. Really, I don't. I'm not sure which Belden would take the first crack at me."

She had to stifle a giggle at his obvious discomfort. "I'd lay my money on Mart," Trixie replied, noting his unease cheerfully. "We may not always get along but he'd definitely be the first. He is my almost-twin, you know. I could definitely see him defending my honor."

"Defending your honor?" Jim chocked out, appalled by her description. It went against the sense of honor that was deeply ingrained within him, a gift from his father who had taught him very well. "This isn't the dark ages or some weird romance novel, Trixie."

She ignored his interruption with a wave of her hand and continued on, "Yep, Jim. Mart's certainly the one you would have to watch out for in my family. Not to belittle the rest of them, but odds are certainly in his favor. Bobby's only fourteen. Brian, well, he's in a field where he's dedicated to helping people feel better and getting out of the hospital, not causing them to be put into the hospital, so he's clearly out of the running. And my Dad...well, he'd be a very close second."

"Could be," he mused, thinking about the type of damage Mart and her father would want to inflict on him, and squirmed against her. The tag-team vision of father and son was not pleasant, especially when he'd be honor bound not to fight back. "You've made me feel much better," he added drily.

"I do aim to please," she quipped back. And then her face took on a somber look. "But, seriously, Jim, we don't know if we have anything to worry about. We don't know anything for sure. We're just supposing here. It's probably best if we simply don't dwell on it for the time being. It won't be long before we find out for sure, anyway." And she eased against him again, pleased with her idea on how to handle the next few weeks.

"True, Trixie" he agreed, knowing it would be practically impossible for him to put his suspicion on the back-burner. "I'll try my best not to dwell on it or worry about it, I really will. Although you know that's not exactly my strongest forte."

She nodded in complete agreement. She knew her man, inside and out. "We'll need a game plan, then," she suggested, and then gave him a wicked grin. "I'll simply have to think of some other ways to keep you and that busy mind of yours...occupied."

Amazingly, he found himself laughing and felt a good amount of the tension leave his body, just as she had hoped. "That may work, Trix. But you know you'll have to share with me a few of your ideas on how you intend to keep me occupied."

Without hesitating, she leaned forward and whispered a suggestion in his ear that caused him to blush again. He gulped, took a breath of much-needed air, and said, noting her satisfied expression, "Yeah. That would do it."

"I know you so well, Frayne," she said, patting the side of his face. "Just leave it to me. I'll take care of all your worries. You won't have time to think."

"You've got a deal." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "And if there is a little Frayne arriving a little sooner than either of us had expected...you'd let me know right away, right?"

Bright blue eyes to deep green eyes, she nodded and said emphatically, "Yes."

He gave her one more sweet kiss before throwing back the covers. "Well, I think we've tempted fate enough for one evening. It's time I get you home, little lady."

She shook her head at his phrase, thinking back to how Pat Bunker had called her that after her adventure in the Hudson River. It almost felt odd to think about something so normal. "Yeah, it was Mart's turn to stay home with Bobby. He's probably wondering where I am."

"Heaven forbid I should anger Mart," Jim joked back as he handed her a light green tank top. He watched as she slipped it back on, disappointed he hadn't been in time to see her put on her bra. "After all, it seems that he's the one I need to watch out for."

"He'll be angry with me anyway since he couldn't spend time with Di tonight. It wouldn't matter if I was home an hour ago," she said as she put on her denim shorts. She knew her almost-twin very well, too. Combing her hands through her tangled curls in order to bring some kind of order to the disheveled mess and failing miserably, she called out, "Aren't you ready yet?"

"Just enjoying the view," he responded with a wink as he finished getting ready. Together they left the room, hands clasped, secure in the knowledge that they would be ready to accept whatever hand that fate had dealt them.


	3. Chapter 3

Tempting Fate

Chapter Three

The walk home was much quieter than the previous walk to Ten Acres. Both were lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the front steps of Crabapple Farm, Jim took both her hands in his and looked down into the face that he knew by heart. The late July moonlight darkened his eyes. "It'll be okay," he whispered reassuringly to her. "I'll make sure of that."

"I know," Trixie whispered back. She squeezed his hands and then threw her arms around him, not wanting to let go. They stood that way for a while, two bodies silhouetted against the dark summer night, before finally, reluctantly, pulling away from each other. She shivered slightly, missing the warmth of his body, even in the sultry night.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said huskily to her, cupping her cheek with his hand, loving the feel of her soft skin, and the tantalizing smell of her.

She giggled quietly. "It _is_ tomorrow." She looked over her shoulder, noting that a light in the living room was still on, and she sighed inwardly. A small spurt of guilt shot through her. She could only hope that her brother wasn't still awake. "And I'd better be getting in before Mart kills me."

"Wouldn't want that," Jim joked back lightly, gently tugging a wayward curl of hers. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Same here." She stood up on her tip-toes and pressed a light kiss to his lips, a kiss that she hoped showed the depth of her feelings for him and how much he meant to her. He accepted the kiss, appreciated it, knew what it meant, and then deepened it until they were both breathing heavily. She finally ended it and stepped back. "Good night, Jim," she breathed out.

"Sleep well," he said back before disappearing into the dark night.

Trixie stood where she was for several minutes, listening to his feet crunching on the path. When she couldn't hear him anymore, she turned and faced the front door. It looked a mile away to her. "Better late than never," she reasoned as she started to walk up the porch. She tossed her head and threw open the front door with a confidence she didn't quite feel. Maybe Mart would already be asleep. She could only hope.

"And to what to I owe my tardy sibling's arrival?" an annoyed voice called from the sofa, putting a swift end to that hope.

Trixie couldn't see him, just the back of his yellow head. She rolled her eyes and stopped, one foot on the stairway, ready to make a run for it. She decided to pursue an aggressive course, since she was the one clearly in the wrong. If she could irritate Mart enough, maybe she could make it to her room without him saying much more. "Didn't realize I had to check in with you," she shot back and started nonchalantly up the stairs.

He was off the sofa and had her arm in his in an instant, his unexpected speed unnerving her. "It's two o'clock in the morning," he hissed at her, forgetting to use his love of big words. "You said you would be back by midnight at the latest."

She tugged her arm away from his in a huff and saw the clock on the mantel out of the corner of her eye. "One fifty," she muttered under her breath.

Irritation flared into something deeper, a bubbling cauldron within him that was threatening to spill over. "Close enough, Trixie," he intoned shortly, his eyes small blue sits of burgeoning rage.

Reluctantly, she came down the bottom step. "All right," she gave with an ungracious snort, "since you seem duty-bound to lecture me in the absence of Moms and Dad, how about we head into the kitchen?"She glanced up the stairs to where their youngest brother was sleeping. "We won't wake up Bobby then."

A tight smile crossed his lips, daring her to respond. "I must admit that idea has merit, surprised as I am that it is coming from such a squaw as you."

She didn't take the bait this time but lead the way through the quiet farm house. When they reached the kitchen, she pulled out a chair and sat down, drumming her fingers on the table in preparation for his verbal assault.

She didn't have long to wait.

"What the hell were you thinking, Beatrix?" He saw her shrink at the use of her hated full name. "I know Moms and Dad are out of town and Brian is working at the inner-city hospital to gain more experience, but that doesn't give you any right to flaunt the rules of the house or take advantage of me," he practically exploded. "I expect better of you, Trixie! So does Moms and Dad. They made both of us promise before they left that we would respect their rules."

"I'm twenty-one years old," she muttered haughtily, her head low. She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to make up a defense but coming up with nothing. How could she tell her older brother exactly what had kept her from meeting her curfew? She colored slightly and decided silence was her only course.

"Doesn't matter. You know Moms and Dad still don't let us stay out this late on a date when we're home! Midnight's always been the curfew since we've been in college for a date and always will be, as long as we're under this roof." He blew out as a breath as he paced the kitchen floor.

Trixie didn't try to meet his eyes. She knew he was right. Instead, she focused on the large antique clock that had hung in the kitchen for generations. She watched the clock tick back and forth, trying to drown out the sound of Mart's angry voice, and thought back to the events of the night. A dreamy gleam entered her eyes as she recalled her romantic time with Jim..

"Unbelievably." Noticing that she wasn't even listening to him, he stopped pacing and put his hands on his hips. "Honestly, Trixie! This must be how all of your educators have felt in the past! How you ever got through high school and three years of college is beyond me." He threw up his arms, disgusted with her.

She was brought out of her reverie with a jerk and slumped in her chair, admitting defeat. "You're right, Mart," she said repentantly. "I was wrong. I took advantage of you and I'm sorry."

He was ready to go off on another tirade but her apology took the wind out of his sails. He eyed her closer, deciding that he wasn't ready to let her off the hook yet. "Something could have happened to you," he uttered petulantly and sat down next to her.

"I was with Jim!" she protested with a short laugh, grateful to see the anger starting to leave Mart's face. She knew her brother well. She got up and brought the old-fashioned cookie jar over to him as a peace offering.

"You're Trixie Belden," he said as he accepted a cookie and took a bite out of it. "Anything could, and has, happened to you. You could even be working on a new case as we speak."

She took a cookie herself and then closed the lid. She glanced at him thoughtfully, remembering the new "case" Jim had given her a few hours earlier. His guard seemed to be down, she mused, and then decided that now might be a good time to try and get to the bottom of the mystery of Mart Belden. "I'm not, you know." She took a bite of her cookie and leaned against the pristine kitchen counter.

His cookie was already finished. Brushing crumbs off his fingers, he questioned, "Not what?"

"Not working on a new case," she said, her lips turning up at the corners with her small white lie. She took out a napkin and placed her unfinished cookie on it. "You know, I might have to get you angrier more often. This is the most you've talked to me all summer," she added conversationally.

His hand stilled on its way to the cookie jar and dropped with a thud back to the table. Standing up, he yawned broadly and announced, "I believe it is past time for me to partake of my evening respite." He turned on his heel, hoping to get out of the room before tenacious Trixie could follow up the conversation.

Speed was an ally to her this time. She beat him to the doorway, blocked his way and held her hands up in the air. "I don't think so, brother dear. I think it's your turn to take the hot seat." She motioned to the chair he had vacated. "Sit back down, Mart. I think we've got something else to settle."

He did as he was told, grumbling the entire time. It wasn't fun being on the defensive, he decided as his eyes slitted with returning annoyance.

Trixie leaned against the door frame, watching her brother closely as she started. "Let's look at the evidence, shall we? The whole summer vacation is practically gone. Honey has been away with her family for most of the summer. Brian's working, of course, that sensible brother of ours. Dan's also in the City, as a rookie for the NYPD. That leaves you, me, Jim and Di in Sleepyside for the summer, the only Bob-Whites."

He'd been avoiding this all summer . "No arguments there." He glanced at the clock this time like it was a lifeline, and decided it was his only way out. "Look, Trix, it's late. Can't we do this some other time?"

"We've had all summer," she retorted quickly, temper flaring briefly in her eyes before being extinguished. "If you think I'm letting you go now, you're crazy. Let's get back to the evidence. So, you, me, Di and Jim have been the only Bob-Whites here. Jim and I have spent time together. I've spent time with Di. Jim and I have spent time with Di. But Di is the only one you have chosen to spend time with." She tried to cover up her hurt but failed miserably. "What gives, Mart?"

He couldn't quite meet her eyes after hearing her hurt tone. "Really, Trixie, is this the time?" he tried again but knew it was useless.

"Seems like." Her narrowed gaze noted his slumped shoulders, the way his eyes wouldn't meet hers, and his twiddling thumbs. He was nervous, she realized with start of surprise. She so rarely saw Mart nervous. He was always so confident. She almost didn't know how to handle it.

Abruptly changing her tactics, she took a seat next to him and gently laid a hand on his arm. "Come on, Mart," she implored him softly and nearly broke his heart with her next words. "I want my brother back."

"Oh, man." Now was the time, he reluctantly decided. He could never resist her concerned blue eyes. "You know I just graduated with my degree in teaching agriculture."

Normally she would have huffed out something smart but she knew know wasn't the time. She responded with a simple nod, "Of course."

"And of course you know that Di is getting ready to do her student teaching with her art class. She does her pre-student teaching this semester and her full student teaching in the spring," he added proudly.

She hummed her agreement. "That's all she's been talking about."

He gave a curt nod. "Listening to Di talk about it...she's so excited! Her face practically comes alive when she talks about finding out her placement in a few weeks. She already has ideas on what she wants to teach the kids." He took a deep breath before finally admitting to her, "It's made me realize that I was never that excited about teaching."

Trixie sat up a little straighter, shocked. "Oh?" she questioned, her eyes wide.

He went on as if he hadn't heard her. His words came out in a rush, tumbling over each other as if he was afraid to say it aloud to her, "I mean, I enjoyed student teaching last year. I had fun, taught the kids a lot, learned a lot myself, but the thought of doing it year after year...I don't think I have it in me. I don't think I'm meant to be a teacher. I could feel it nagging at me last spring but I didn't want to admit it."

"You don't want to teach," she summarized quietly, frozen to her spot. She had not expected this.

"That's about the gist of it." He ran his hands over his short hair. "During my student teaching experience, I was asked to help out the advisor for the school newspaper." He remembered how much fun that was and gave his first real smile since opening up to her. "It made me remember how much I enjoyed working on our newspaper."

"When you weren't Miss Lonelyheart," she put in with a chuckle.

He could actually chuckle with her, astonished that talking to her about this was making the pressure that had nearly crushed his heart disappear. "So I made a few calls at the start of the summer...to my advisor at NYCC, and then to the college itself."

The light was breaking through, helping Trixie to finally understand Mart's aloofness towards her and Jim for the summer. "What did you find out, Mart?" she prompted him curiously.

"I'll be joining you, Di and Honey at NYCC this year. I only need a few courses in order to graduate with a degree in journalism. I'll have to do one more year at college but then I'll have my degree," he said it hesitatingly but with pride.

She surprised him yet again but smiling and giving him a warm hug. "Why, that's wonderful, Mart!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm so happy for you!"

He wasn't sure if she would be so happy once he stated the obvious that seemed to be just beyond her reach. He gently disentangled himself from her arms and met her gaze. "You realize what this means, right?"

"We get to go to college together for another year?" Trixie asked, already seeing the upcoming year in her mind. A beautiful smile spread across her lips. "That's just fine. I didn't want to admit it but I was really going to miss you. You know, I'll bet you could room with Dan. He's two floors down in our apartment building. I know he'd love to have you." The possibilities seemed endless.

"That's not it." Mart took a deep breath before lowering the boom on Trixie's sudden rush of exhilaration. "I won't be teaching agriculture at Jim's school."

She sat up a little straighter, full realization sinking in, and was quiet for a full minute. Mart's odd behavior suddenly made sense to her. She felt a tug on her temper but held firm control of it."And you thought Jim and I would be mad about that," she concluded to herself.

He heard her and shook his head in agreement. "Something like that."

She stood up and pushed her chair into the table firmly. "Stand up, Mart!" she ordered him.

He complied warily, watching her out of the corner of his blue eyes. "Yeah, Trix?"

She tossed her arms around him again, her giggles ringing throughout the kitchen. "I am happy for you, you dolt! I think it's perfectly perfect! And I know Jim would feel the same way."

He finally allowed himself to relax and hugged her back. "Really, Trixie? You're not angry at me?"

"A little because it took you so damn long to tell me this." She hugged him tightly and then punched him in the arm. "But how could I be mad that you've changed your mind? Dreams can change, you know, Mart. I want you to be happy. We all want you to be happy." She emphasized the we, to show him that there wouldn't be any hard feelings between her, Jim and Mart.

"Thank goodness," he breathed out, realizing that his deep, dark secret was finally out and that it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be.. "Di told me I should sit down and talk it out with you and Jim. She's been at me all summer to do it. I, well, I guess I was just afraid I would disappoint you. I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"I'm glad I have my brother back," Trixie said gratefully. "And that's a very smart girl you've got there, Mart. Listen to her next time. Don't let her get away."

"Not in a million lifetimes," he responded seriously. "And, speaking of Di..."

She glanced up at her brother when he stopped, glad to see the mischievous sparkle back in his bright blue eyes, and the worried look gone for good.. "And..." she prompted him, waving her hands to force him to continue.

"I am thinking that one tardy sibling of the feminine variety owes one beleaguered brother an enormous favor." He enjoyed using his large vocabulary again. He had spent most of the summer avoiding Trixie. It felt so damn good to be able to annoy her again!

After translating the sentence in her mind, she released a small groan. "Speak in words that I can understand next time. It is nearly three o'clock in the morning. What do I owe you, Mart?"

He consented with a regal nod of his blonde head. "Moms and Dad won't be back for three days and two nights. I think that the lovely Diana and I should claim the next two evenings while you shall stay home and watch Bobby. Then I won't tell our beloved parents about your late evening escapades with a certain Mr. J. W. Frayne, the II."

She swore inwardly but knew she deserved it. She had taken advantage of her parent's absence. "Deal's off if you're not back by midnight on each night," she called out as she stalked out of the room, Mart's laughter following her. She wanted to stay angry, she really did, but she couldn't, too relieved to have Mart's issues out in the open, and that mystery settled.


	4. Chapter 4

Tempting Fate

Chapter Four

The last two weeks of summer vacation flew. As much they would have liked to, the call of college proved irresistible when it came. Here they were, ready to start another year. Trixie huffed with exertion as she came up the hallway, dragging a suitcase behind her. They had been moving her and Diana's belongings in for better part of an hour. She brought her last suitcase into the two-bedroom apartment and dropped it on the floor with a loud thud. Falling dramatically onto the overstuffed sofa, she wiped a hand across her brow and announced breathlessly, "That's it! No more moving for me!"

Di laughed good-naturedly as she carried in her make-up bag. Mart followed her with two of Di's bags in tow. Glad to have her boyfriend along for the move, she patted his arm and gave him a disarming smile. "I know what you mean, Trix. Sometimes I wonder why we choose an apartment building with stairs, instead of an elevator." She looked back down the hallway and gave a small shiver as she thought of the many times they had had to carry their things up the stairway.

"And why you picked the seventh floor," Mart puffed as he placed the bags next to Trixie's. He made a big production out of stretching his body which earned a sarcastic rolling of the eyes from his sister. Ignoring he, he continued, "Of course, our patriarchs had a hand in choosing this building. They were the ones who decided it was safe enough to house their precious daughters." Copying his sister, he flopped on the sofa. Catching Di by surprise, he pulled her down onto his lap. Soft giggles emanated from the lovely young lady as she cuddled into him.

Trixie sniffed disdainfully, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She quickly inched away from the couple. "Really, you two. Get a room." Then she looked up at the ceiling. "If this is what I have to look forward to this year..." She left the rest unsaid.

"Hah, hah," Mart shot back before laying his head on top of Diana's. Then he preceded to ignore his sister and concentrated on whispering secret things in her ears that caused an attractive blush to grace her face.

Unable to take anymore, Trixie stood up and looked around the apartment with undisguised dismay. She couldn't believe what she saw. It looked nothing like the cozy apartment they had viewed in the spring. Instead, it was now littered with boxes, suitcases, and unopened bags. Honey's things were had been stored neatly in the corner of the large living room for the entire summer. The conglomeration of Di's and Trixie's things could not be called neat or anything that came close to resembling it. It was a disorganized mess. "We've got a lot do," she muttered to herself, not looking forward to the task at hand.

A redhead with a lopsided grin poked his head through the open door, an unopened box in his arms. "Anyone missing a box?" he called out, shaking the box gently in his hands. "I found it out here in the hallway.".

Her rising irritation dissipated quickly. Excited to see her fiancé, she gave a squeal of pure happiness and ran toward him, a welcoming smile adorning her face. "I didn't think you'd be able to make it here!" she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that Mart and Di were in the room.

He carefully placed the box on a nearby table, holding onto it gingerly when it looked like it was going to topple. When he was certain that it was going to stay, he turned to her, and explained,. "My advisor had to cancel our meeting today. Something came up in his family. So, I'm here, at your disposal." He looked around the room and couldn't hide the grimace from his handsome face. "Haven't made much progress yet, huh?"

"That's an understatement," she said with a sarcastic laugh. Motioning to the mess that would be their apartment, she joked, "You want to take that offer of help back?"

"I'd run while you can." Mart called from the sofa, tickling Diana and making no attempt to start helping with the unpacking and putting away. Di didn't seem to mind. Her soft giggles quickly turned into a boisterous laugh. "Who knows what these squaws have planned for us?"

Dan stood in the doorway, taking in the scene before him, and laughed a contented laugh. It was great to have his friends back together. He'd missed them terribly this past summer. Brian had been the only Bob-White in the city and he had such a hectic schedule, they had only been able to get together a handful of times. As the only working Bob-White, he didn't have the benefit of much free time to visit. "Before you consider cleaning up this mess, Mart, you'd better start in on your own. It's not good to anger your roommate."

Trixie turned within the circle of Jim's arms. "Hey, Dan," she greeted him cheerfully, delighted to see one of her best friends. "Did you just get off work?"

As the new kid on the block at the precinct, he'd been giving the joy of the midnight shift. He hadn't been able to refuse when his supervisor had requested for him to stay a few hours over his shift to help with a drug raid so he had missed out on helping with the move. He'd been given a boring assignment on the raid, stuck guarding the perimeter of the apartment building, and so he hadn't even been able to participate in the actual raid. A hell of a way to get overtime. "Yeah. It was a crazy shift." He moved into the living room of the girls' apartment and fixed the box that Jim had recently placed from toppling over.

"It's good to see you, Dan. It's been too long. It's going to be awful nice to have you and Mart two floors below us this year." Di's head peeped over the edge of the sofa, her face still flushed from Mart's attention a few moments earlier. Then she announced with a tinkling laugh, "We're only two Bob-Whites short of a bevy!"

"Not anymore!" a welcome voice called out blithely. Honey Wheeler stood in the hallway, a carry-on bag across her shoulder, and the widest grin on her pretty face. Her honey-colored hair was swept in an artful twist. She was dressed in a cheerful yellow dress and looked as refreshed as if she was spending a leisurely afternoon at the country club. No one would have been able to guess that she had just spent many hours on a plane headed back from England. Her boyfriend stood next to her, her hand clutched tightly in his, looking content and proud to be by her side.

"Honey!" Trixie yelled enthusiastically with a whoop. She pushed herself out of Jim's arms and ran to her best friend, Di a close second. Together the three girls hugged, laughed, and jumped up and down in excitement. Each pair of eyes glistened with unshed tears. They had been apart too long.

Brian knew when to get out of the way. Despite the tired circles under his eyes from too many hours of work in the hospital for his residency and not enough sleep, he moved rapidly next to Jim and nodded toward the three women. "Did you notice that neither Trixie or Di greeted me?" he asked conversationally, a light smile playing across his lips.

"Girls." Jim laughed. He clapped Brian on the back, the masculine way of showing him that he was glad to see him. "Go figure. My sister hasn't said anything to me yet, either."

Trixie pretended not to hear them as she hugged Honey again. "Oh, it's so good to see you, Honey. This has been such a long summer without you." She studied Honey closely, noting that Honey hadn't changed a bit. "We've missed you so much."

A lone tear fell from Di's lovely lavender eyes. "I'm glad you're back too, Honey. Trixie's right. We missed you dreadfully. Sleepyside isn't the same without you."

Both feeling a little uncomfortable at the feminine display in front of them, Mart and Dan joined Brian and Jim, distancing themselves from the ladies near the doorway. "Good to see you, big brother," Mart said, intentionally keeping his back to the girls.

Dan nodded his agreement. "When do you think they'll stop?" He gestured to the corner where the women were still laughing, hugging, and now crying.

Jim's face lit up with interest. "You starting a pool?" he questioned hopefully, gauging the action from across the room to better his guess.

It sounded like the most fun he'd had in a while. While working in a hospital was fulfilling, fun was not an adjective he would use to describe it. "I'm in," Brian said without hesitation. "Five bucks says three more minutes." He pulled out a five dollar bill from his wallet with a flourish and held it up to admire it. "Read it and weep, boys."

"Five minutes." Jim announced decidedly as he copied Brian and handed his money to Dan, who usually held onto the money when they made their betting pools.

"You should give me the money now," Mart boasted proudly, thumping his chest. "I'm going 10. It's been almost two months since the three of them were together. Just call me "The Winnah!" He handed over his money, a look of merriment on his face.

Amidst the groans from the two oldest members, Dan caught the most recent activity of the girls out of the corner of his eyes and grinned to himself, not feeling guilty at all about using his vantage point to his favor. He added in his five and quietly announced, "One more minute."

The other men looked at him and gave short barks of laughter. "I don't think so," Brian declared in-between his chuckles, shaking his head at what he considered a stupid decision. "It'll take the three much longer than that."

"Man, are you crazy? Working that night shift must have addled what is left of your brain." Mart tapped his friend on his shoulder, chuckling at what he perceived to be as Dan's foolishness.

"That's a fool's bet. Trixie and Di have missed Honey terribly." Secure in his knowledge of how much his girlfriend and friend had missed his sister, he crossed his arms and shook his head. "One minute," he repeated, his voice twinged with laughter. "Not a chance in hell, Mangan."

Trixie padded over to the men on light feet, listening in on their conversation, an incredulous look on her face. When it seemed that the jesting towards Dan was over, she let them know that she was on to them. "Are you betting on us?" she questioned, her blue eyes flashing with indignation, unbelieving of the audacity of the men in the room.

Three pairs of eyes whipped around and met hers with guilt. Only one set of dark eyes smiled as he held onto the money. "Easiest twenty bucks I've ever made," Dan joked as he quickly pocketed the money. The rest of the man could only gape between him and the females in the room.

Honey and Di joined Trixie and linked arms, an unmistakable sign of solidarity. "Did I just hear you right?" Di asked Trixie, eyeing each man until they started to squirm. "Were the male members of club using our welcome for their own monetary gain?"

"Oh, Di!" Honey exclaimed, forgetting that she should be offended. "You've been spending way too much time with Mart."

Mart looked embarrassed and then decided it was time to get the heat off of the boys. Trixie had that militant look to her. He hated to do it, was sure he would catch hell for it later from his comrades, but he gestured towards the mess that was the apartment. "I don't know, gentlemen, but it looks like our fair ladies could certainly use some help."

Groans were quickly stifled as the men saw the belligerent gleam in the eyes of the girls. "Yeah, sounds good," Jim answered with forced cheerfulness, inwardly cursing Mart. He shouldered a suitcase he knew to be Trixie's and started back to the room she would share with Honey, artfully dodging the carnage in the room.

"I think you men could learn by Jim's example." Honey reached down and pushed a box marked "kitchen things" into Dan's hands. "Go to it, Officer Mangan," she ordered him, practically daring him to refuse. Dan had no choice but to take the box and head towards the kitchen.

"It was your idea to help," Di said to Mart, her soft voice belying her intention. Batting her eyes at him flirtatiously, trying to put him off guard, she announced, "I think I'll go easy on you." He started to relax as Di walked over and picked up a small box. She handed it to him, her face a picture of serene appreciation.

"Thank you, fair maiden," Mart replied with a bow. "It does my heart good to know that at least one of the female members of our club recognizes a true gentleman when she sees it."

"Don't thank me just yet," she told him, laughter dancing merrily in her eyes. She pointed to the box, enjoying the wary look that entered his blue ones. "Look what it says," she encouraged him.

Mart glanced at the box and paled. "Bathroom," he read with rapidly approaching fear. He barely held back a shiver of disgust.

"Enjoy," Di said sweetly and resumed her perch on the sofa regally, resembling a lady in the times of knights and dragons in demeanor. She watched her boyfriend carry the box out of the room from under heavily veiled lashes and giggled into her hand, having packed the box herself. She knew the different types of feminine hygiene products that were located inside it.

Thinking he had escaped the bloodbath, Brian looked down at his girlfriend with a disarming grin. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and attempted to distract her. "It's good to have you back, Honey," he whispered in her ear. "I've missed you."

Honey smiled sweetly back and then arched an eyebrow at him, not giving him an inch. "You only bet three minutes."

"Damn." Brian hung his head. He knew he didn't stand a chance.

With all seven pitching in, it didn't take too long before a semblance of order had been restored to the cheerful apartment. Boxes were emptied, curtains were hung, dressers and closets were filled, furniture was arranged, rearranged and then arranged again to Di's specifications, and beds were made. The women kept the men on the hook for awhile, enjoying their job as supervisors, but ended up pitching in and helping before it was finished.

Mart peered into the refrigerator and grimaced when he saw his worst nightmare...absolutely nothing staring back at him. "One would think that the females in our midst would have thought enough ahead to have some perishables available," he complained loudly, closing the door with a bang. "I am certain that I am not the only male member ready to expire from hunger."

Most of the time, the Bob-Whites responded with good-natured groans to Mart's long-winded and sometimes untranslatable statements. Not this time. "No food?" Brian asked, a dejected set to his shoulders. His quick breakfast at the airport seemed like a far away dream.

Dan pulled out some money from his wallet. "I've got twenty bucks!" he announced proudly and threw it on the kitchen counter.

"Funny, funny," Mart grumbled under his breath. Then his stomach let loose with a loud growl and he forgot to be angry at exactly how Dan had earned that money. Flushing slightly as three pair of eyes looked at the sound of the growl, he questioned quickly, "Italian, anyone?"

Brian, Dan and Di were quick to voice their opinion. As a loud debate sounded from the kitchen about what type of take-out they would get for their dinner, Jim took advantage of the situation. It had been tough to get Trixie alone all day. He quickly pulled her down the short hallway and into her room. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were alone and breathed a sigh of relief. Only the two beds and matching dressers in the room looked back at him. Both closet doors were opened but no one appeared to be in the room. Satisfied that they were alone, he turned to her, an unspoken question in his green eyes. "Do you know anything yet, Trix?" he murmured to her, keeping his voice soft in case someone were to come down the hall.

Trixie knew what he wanted to know. She gave a gentle shake of her head, sending her curls bouncing in a haphazard way that he found delightful. "Not yet," she whispered back just as quietly, cursing the fact that her monthly time had never been reliable.

He reached out, tugged one of her curls and sent it bouncing again. "You'll let me know, right?" he asked, pulling her to him.

She breathed in the tantalizing scent of him. Pressing her cheek to his chest, she let out a small sigh of contentment. Even at a moment like this, there wasn't any place she'd rather be than in his arms. "As soon as I know," she responded.

He tenderly traced her cheek. "Either way, we'll get through it together, Trix," he spoke reassuringly to her.

She closed her eyes. "I have no doubt about that, Jim." She sprang back as she heard Di calling for them down the hallway, inwardly cursing that their private time together was finished. "I think our time is done. We'd better go give them our order." She shook away the niggling doubts in her mind and schooled her features, trying her best to hide the apprehension that she was feeling. She did not want any of them to suspect that something could be amiss.

He pasted his lopsided grin on his face and left his hand loosely on her hip. Motioning towards the doorway, he said, "Let's go." Then he led her out of the room.

The closet door at the far end of the room opened fully. Honey stepped out of the closet, a green silk shirt in her hand, a hanger in the other, and a worried frown marring her beautiful face. She refused to feel guilty about eavesdropping on her best friend and her brother. It hadn't been her fault that she had been caught in the room, without a chance to let the two of them know of her presence. "I wonder what that was about," she muttered as she turned to automatically hang the shirt up. "I'll find out as soon as the men leave," she decided, pondering the mystery between Trixie and Jim.


	5. Chapter 5

Tempting Fate

Chapter 5

Di looked around the living room, pleased with the efforts of the day. "We still have a little to do but it looks really good now." Long cream-colored curtains hung from the overly large windows, matching the carpeting in the room. The empty boxes and empty suitcases had been placed in storage. The sofa in soothing tones of brown was decked out with comfortable throw pillows. The other two matching chairs invited people to rest awhile with warm blankets spread across them. Nothing seemed to be out of place to her trained eye. "If it's okay with you two, I think I'll go see if I can help Mart." She received a nod from her friends and then headed out the door, a spring to her step at the excitement of seeing her boyfriend.

Honey cheered inwardly after the door clicked close, leaving her alone with her target. She casually invited Trixie to join her the kitchen. "Would you like a glass of wine?" she asked. She felt like the spider inviting the unsuspecting fly into her parlor. A wayward grin danced across her lips as she turned her head to hide it from Trixie.

Trixie nearly agreed and then sputtered, "Ah, no..., no wine, Honey. I'd love some strawberry pop, though." Keeping her head down, she moved quickly towards the kitchen. She hoped her friend hadn't noticed anything amiss with her negative response.

Honey noted Trixie's refusal and noted it down in her mind for future reference. Following at a more sedate pace, she mentally reviewed the best way to break through Trixie's defenses. She found the glasses that had been washed, dried, and put away and poured a glass of wine for herself and a glass of strawberry pop for her friend. "I'll get us some snacks, " she offered easily.

Trixie settled at the tidy kitchen table, feeling the coolness of her glass, and looked off into the distant. Frowning, she pondered the potential results of her fateful evening with Jim. Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Honey as she asked her what she would like to eat.

Noticing her friend's preoccupation with something she couldn't attempt to hazard guess at, Honey rolled a delicate shoulder and decided on crackers and cheese. Artfully arranging the items on a plate, she brought the snacks over to the table and sat down next to her friend. "I'm surprised you haven't peppered me yet with a million questions about my summer," she began innocently, concentrating on spreading cheese on her cracker. She watched her prey through thinly veiled lashes.

Shaken out of her thoughts, Trixie was brought back to earth. "Right," she breathed out. "You were away all summer." Her statement sounded hollow to her ears.

"In England with my parents," Honey supplied helpfully as she swirled the wine her glass and then took a small sip.

Trixie didn't notice the amount of attention she was receiving from Honey. She reached for a cracker and played with it idly. "Did you have a good time?" she asked after a moment of silence, not aware that she had broken the cracker into minute crumbs.

"It was fun spending time with my mother and father," Honey replied, gauging to see if Trixie was even paying attention to her. Grinning to herself, she decided she would have some fun with her. "First we went back in time to meet King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. While we were there, Guinevere decided that she liked my father better than Arthur or Sir Lancelot. She had my mother and I put in an old, smelly, dark dungeon!" she exclaimed blithely, the wide smile on her face belying the masked cunningness in her eyes.

Trixie didn't her the nonsense. Instead, she traced the top of her glass. "That sounds nice," she commented when it seemed like an appropriate place in the conversation.

Honey didn't know whether she wanted to strangle her or comfort her. Hiding her growing frustration, she continued with her string of nonsense, "Well, after we got out of the dungeon, a great dragon attacked us. Luckily my father had been able to escape the clutches of Guinevere. He was able to defeat the dragon in one swell swoop."

No response other than, "Oh my. That sounds like fun." She didn't seem to be able to look away from the pink of her strawberry pop.

Honey had enough. After releasing a low growl, she slammed her hands on the table top, causing the glasses to jump but luckily not topple. "Did you hear anything I just said, Trixie Belden?" she asked accusingly, daring her friend to answer in the affirmative.

Startled by the noise, large blue eyes focused on Honey. "Of course I did," she insisted quickly in a bad attempt to cover up her absorption in her own thoughts. She struggled to remember what Honey had been telling her and recovered the best that she could. "You were telling me what a great time you had in England."

The matrons of New York society would have been surprised to hear the daughter of Matthew and Madeleine Wheeler snort. "I was telling you nonsense, Trixie!" she answered emphatically. "Do you really think we went back in time to meet King Arthur and the rest of the Camelot crew?"

"Gleeps." Trixie hung her head, ashamed at herself. Her favorite flush was back, staining her face a vivid pink. "Sorry, Hon. I was thinking about something else."

And that's what I want to know about, Honey thought with an inward grin of anticipation, thinking know was her chance to dig deeper into her friend's mind. "I get that, Trix," she said with an understanding nod. Wanting to put Trixie at ease again, she reached across the table and covered her hand. "It's not a big deal."

Trixie finally took a swallow of her strawberry pop. Realizing she was actually hungry, too, she helped herself to a few crackers. "Do you want to try it again, Honey? I'll pay attention this time, I promise."

"Soon," Honey agreed. She moved her chair closer and then whispered, "Call me crazy, but I have a feeling you may have had a much more interesting summer than I had."

Trixie nervously started to toy with her engagement ring. Light reflected off the diamond in a sparkle of colors that went unnoticed. It was the ring that Jim had given her when she was thirteen so that she could buy a horse with it. He had given it back to her a few months earlier, wanting her to have something special from his family. There were few precious Frayne items left. She dug around for a bone to feed Honey and finally came up with, "Did you know that Mart wants to study journalism?"

The wine swirled around in her glass as a crafty smile tugged at the corner of her polished pink lips. "That is exciting for Mart. I rather suspected he wasn't that happy with teaching."

"Did you? That escaped me." Trixie let loose a small, nervous giggle that had Honey more puzzled. Nervous giggles were not Trixie's forte. "He avoided me and Jim for most of the summer. He was afraid we'd be upset that he didn't want to teach at Jim's school."

"You and Jim would only want him to be happy." Honey settled back, pleased with how her interrogation was going. The groundwork was being laid beautifully.

"Of course!" Relieved that Honey seemed to be buying Mart's change of plans as the reason for her preoccupation, Trixie supplied helpfully, "When Mart told Jim about it, Jim called him an idiot for keeping it from him for so long. Jim's happy with Mart's choice."

"So's Di and Dan. Now Mart lives right below us and Dan has a new roommate. It all worked out perfectly perfect, if you ask me." Something's not 'perfectly perfect' with you, Honey thought inwardly.

"It really has worked out for the best." Trixie thought of her brother and one of her best friend's two floors below and released a real laugh. "It'll be wonderful having the two of them so close."

Nodding, Honey decided it was time to stop fooling around. "It's too bad that Brian isn't closer but then he needs to live closer to the hospital where he's doing his residency." She slowly went in for the kill. "And it would be even better if Jim was here instead of closer to Columbia." She smiled over the rim of her glass as she watched Trixie's immediate reaction to Jim's name.

She sat up in her chair, ramrod straight, and colored softly. Her eyes, always so blue, seemed to glow even more. Even her breathing seemed to be on a different rhythm. "Ah, yeah, if only Brian and Jim lived here, too," she barely got out.

Honey crossed her legs and swung her foot. What's going on with you and Jim? she wondered again. Then she gave her friend a minute before saying nonchalantly, "You know, Trix, I was hanging up the clothes in my closet earlier."

Surprised but grateful for the abrupt change in conversation, Trixie dumbly nodded her head. "I'm going to have to fix my closet up soon, too. Not surprising but it's a mess."

After a dainty taste of wine, Honey slowly laid her glass on the table. Soft hazel eyes met reluctant blue ones. She wouldn't let Trixie drop her gaze as she said casually, "I love the doors on our closets here. Isn't it neat how they open like a regular door? You wouldn't even know if there was someone behind it."

"They're like my closet doors at home," Trixie responded with a shrug, a nervous chill running up her spine.

Honey continued as if she hadn't heard her, "My closet's in the corner of the room."

"It's close to your bed," Trixie supplied, picturing their bedroom in her mind.

"I managed to hear the most interesting conversation earlier when I was in our room." Honey watched the blood drain from Trixie's face, her eyes wide with unexpressed horror. She quickly apologized and admitted, "I didn't really mean to eavesdrop but, well, I couldn't really help it, Trix. It didn't seem like my brother or my best friend really wanted me to interrupt them, either."

Gleeps didn't cover it. Although she rarely swore, the situation called for it. "Damn. I didn't know you were there."

"We already covered that," Honey provided helpfully, not giving an inch. She put a hand on her hip and demanded, "Now I would like to know what that conversation was about. It seems to me that Jim was asking you if you knew something and you told him that you didn't. It was a pretty intense conversation, Trix."

Trixie stood up and turned her back to Honey. "I think I'll clean up," she mumbled and reached for her nearly full glass and plate.

Honey was having none of that. She caught Trixie's hand and hissed out, "I don't think so. You're not going anywhere until you tell me what that was about. I'll pester you until you do, you know I will."

People often described Trixie as tenacious. Since they had grown up and matured, that was a term that could easily be applied to Honey as well. She wouldn't let Trixie have any peace until she knew what was going on. "Damn," she swore again, knowing it was useless to resist.

"Spill it, babe," Honey ordered her sharply. She leaned back in her chair, arms crosssed, and eyed her friend.

Reluctantly, she took her seat again and tried to avoid Honey's gaze. She squirmed in her seat and then picked up her glass. "Well, it's like this, Honey," she began after taking a small, fortifying sip, and approached the unapproachable subject. The three of them had an agreement to never, ever, ever share intimate details about their boyfriends with each other. It was simply too embarrassing for all involved. She kept her face averted and attempted to get it out, "Jim and I...well, we, ah....after our engagement..."

Wishing she hadn't finished her wine, Honey's face colored, too. She suppressed a shudder. "I get the picture, Trix. No need to go any further with that part."

"But that could be the problem!" Trixie replied forcefully. "Well, problem's not the right word. I guess issue would be better. Oh, gleeps, I don't know." She sputtered to a frustrated stop.

Honey held up her hand, stopping Trixie's rush of words, and called for her quickly diminishing supply of patience. "Just tell me what the 'issue' could be, Trix. It can't be that bad."

She chewed on her unpainted lip nervously as words rambled out. "Honey, it's not _bad._ I wouldn't use that to describe it. Of course, we don't even know yet if there is an issue. I mean, if there could be an issue. Oh, you must see what I'm saying, right? I'll find out soon, I'm sure, but that's the issue, if you know what I mean."

Somewhere in that convoluted mess, Honey finally understood what she meant. Her mouth dropped into a wide O of pure astonishment. "I see," was all she could muster past suddenly dry lips, the seriousness of the situation coming at her with the force of a ten-ton rig.

"The condom broke," she explained needlessly. Her face felt like it was on fire, it was so red. She peeped at her friend and saw the same bright color on Honey's cheeks.

"And there could be a...?" Honey left the question hanging. Expelling a loud breath, she leaned back against her chair, suddenly exhausted, and feeling very sympathetic for her friend and brother. She looked Trixie up and down before questioning softly, "Does anyone else know?"

Trixie gave a short bark of laughter and cocked an eyebrow. "Your brother's still alive, right?" she responded, sarcasm dripping from her words.

She waved her hands in front of her face. "Okay, okay. No one else knows. We'll keep it between us, then." Honey shook her head, imagining what it would be like to be an aunt. It would be amazing, she decided, and then pictured her brother trying to explain what had happened to their parents. "Oh my, Mr. Honorable, what have you done?" she mumbled with a hysterical giggle that quickly flourished into a full-blown cackle of mirth

Besides herself and feeling an amazing amount of relief now that she had shared her potential news with someone else, Trixie joined in the hysterical laughter. She found herself laughing until tears starting rolling down her cheeks and she had to hold onto her sides when they began to hurt. "That's funny," she gasped out when the giggles gave way.

Honey wiped the moisture away from her eyes and reached across the table, her long aristocratic hands covering Trixie's smaller freckled ones. "Whatever happens, Trix, it'll be okay. Really and truly, you and Jim don't have anything to worry about. You'll get through it and we'll all help. All for one, Trix."

Grateful for her unwavering support, Trixie smiled back, the first real smile Honey had seen on her face since they'd entered the kitchen, and her old sparkle returning to her vibrant eyes. "Yeah, don't I know that," she said softly. "There's nothing quite like a Bob-White, is there?"


	6. Chapter 6

Tempting Fate

Chapter 6

The alarm clock let out its cheerfully consistent buzzing. A bare arm reached out from under the covers and fumbled around, finally managing to connect with it. Silence, blessed silence, rang through the room. With a loud moan, she flopped back down on her pillow, willing the start of the day away. .

In the bed across the room, Honey rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Don't you think it's time to get up, Trix? That's the third time you've snoozed that poor thing," she said.

Trixie groaned again and covered her tired eyes from the pleasant sunlight starting to stream through the white fluffy curtains. "I know, I know, Hon," she barely garbled out, her voice sounded thick from still wanting to sleep. "It's just been a long week."

The first week of college was nearly at an end. It had been a tough one for all involved. Senior year for the girls was proving to be hard one, with the professors expecting much more out of the seniors than any of them had predicted. "Don't I know it," Honey muttered darkly. Hiding her own groan, she threw back her thin green covers. Then her feet touched the cool hardwood floor and she stretched out the kinks.

Watching her, Trixie reluctantly followed suit. She had another busy day ahead of her. "Somewhere between going to class after class after class, I have to hit the computer lab. Our printer is all out of ink," she grumbled.

"I know. Di went a little crazy printing out art pictures for one of her classes. She feels awful about using it all up." Honey reached for her thin cotton robe and slipped it on, covering a yawn with her hand. "I still think it's unfair that your Professor Dunkle assigned a paper on the first week of classes." Her lips curled in disdain. "What a thoroughly rotten thing to do."

"And how. It's a good thing you took American Lit last year. I only wish I had done so." She nearly stumbled on a hastily thrown shoe from the night before and used the wall to steady herself. "I guess that's a good indication on how this day's going to go."

As Trixie started to walk out the door, Honey hurriedly called out, "Stop, Trix! You can't go yet!"

She halted in the doorway, her brows drawn together in a line of surprise. "What's that, Honey? I don't have much time to get ready if I'm going to make it to my nine o'clock."

The drawer on her night stand let out a loud squeak as Honey took out a small box and held it aloft. It was the item she had purchased the night before for her friend. "Don't you have a little something to do this morning?" She waved it in front of her Trixie's face.

Rooted to the spot, she stared at the box as if transfixed. It had completely slipped her mind. The previous evening Honey had convinced her it was time to find out, one way or the other. Both were surprised to find out that it offered the best results if done first thing in the morning. "Ahhh, right," she finally got out, her brain a mass of conflicting thoughts and feelings, and made no attempt to get the box. "I guess I do have another appointment."

Honey released a small giggle, hoping to lighten the situation. She had seen the emotions play across Trixie's expressive face. "Well, let Nurse Wheeler help you then, Patient Belden." She bounded over and placed the box gingerly in her cold hands. Gesturing towards the hallway, she ordered in the best nurse voice she could muster, "Get to it. Nurse's order."

Fingers closed over the box. She closed her blue eyes, unsure if she really wanted to go through with it. When Honey started tapping her feet impatiently, she turned on her heels and headed into the bathroom with a loud sigh of impatience, Honey right behind her. "Are you coming in with me?" she asked incredulously when Honey stopped in the doorway of the small but tidy bathroom.

Honey blushed slightly and backed away from the door. She reluctantly took her spot outside of the door and leaned against the wall. "No, no, no, no," she laughed at herself, waving her hands in front of her face. "I'm just nervous for you, I think."

"You can only imagine how I feel," she whispered back. "I'll let you back in in about three minutes," she said after consulting the directions again on the little fortune-telling box. The door latched shut with a smart click as she studied the directions again. She didn't notice the lilac colored mats on the floor, the matching shower curtain with charming flowers dancing across it, or the pristine white pedestal sink. "Now or never," she ordered herself. Biting her lip, she got down to work.

Five minutes later, the bathroom door opened quietly. Honey pounced, at the doorway in less than a heartbeat. Wordlessly, Trixie handed the box and the stick over and watched as Honey read the crystal clear results. "Here, Honey," she said slowly, unsure on how to digest the news.

Honey checked the results on the box once, twice, three times, and then looked back at the stick. She pursed her lips together and pondered the answer to their question. After a prolonged period of silence, she breathed out, "Now we know, right, Trix?"

Before she could respond, Di's bedroom door opened with a loud bang that nearly caused Trixie's heart to stop beating. She quickly hid the box and the stick behind her back, well out of sight. "What is going on out here at this ungodly hour of 8:00 AM?" Di demanded through a yawn. The normally poised and put-together fashion plate of Glen Road was in an uncustomary state of dishevelment, her pink pajamas with smiling bunnies romping across the material rumpled, and her lovely lavender eyes slitted together, unwilling to open up and face the day. She pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and sent her friends an accusing glare.

Ever the tactful one, Honey casually stepped in front of Trixie, blocking Di's view even more. "Just a little science experiment for our forensic classes," she responded soothingly, running her hand through her hair, and apologized inwardly for the little white lie. "We're sorry to wake you up, Di."

Accepting the apology, Di waved her hand regally in the air. "Not a problem. Just try to be quieter, okay?" And she was gone, headed back in to sleep. Her first class wasn't until ten.

Leaning against the pale yellow wall, Honey released a small sigh of relief. She turned back to see Trix, to gauge her reaction to the news, only to see that her friend wasn't there anymore. "Trixie?" she whispered, not wanting to disturb Diana again.

Trixie came out from the bedroom, pulling a red shirt over a pair of blue jeans. She didn't seem to notice that one of the knees had a hole in them or that her red shirt was wrinkled. She quickly ran her fingers through her tousled blonde curls, attempting to bring some type of order to them and failing miserably, and then continued down the hall as if she hadn't a care in the world. "Right here. I'm going to have to hurry if I want to catch my first class."

Lips pursed, Honey put her hands on her hips and followed her into the kitchen. She watched as her friend drained a glass of orange juice in two gulps and then grabbed her backpack from the back of one of the kitchen chairs. "Don't you want to talk about this, Trix?" she questioned her, not sure what to think about Trixie's reaction.

Placing the glass in the empty sink, Trixie shook her head. She quickly slipped into her brown flats that she had left under the table a day or two ago. "Not yet, Honey. Right now I need to get moving if I want to make my first class. It's going to be a hectic day for me."

"Me, too," she murmured sympathetically, knowing that Trixie needed time to digest the results on the box but hating to give it to her. She came to the conclusion that she was willing to give her some time...until this evening. "How about when you get home, then? I'm supposed to have an early dinner with Brian before he starts his work at the hospital. I should be home by seven since that's when he starts his shift."

She nodded her agreement and headed out the door, her mind a jumbled mess, and almost pathetically grateful for the hectic day. She hoped it would help keep her mind off of other things. Unfortunately, the morning didn't go that well for her. She nearly fell asleep in her first class, had to write a surprise essay on a topic she couldn't even remember reading about in her second class, and, worst of all, she couldn't get in touch with Jim. After leaving a second message on his voice mail, she clamored tiredly up the steps to the computer lab only to be greeted with yet another disappointment. She stared in dismay at the amount of students in the computer lab. Not one computer was available.

"Great, just great," she uttered under her breath, wishing she could curse a blue streak right then and there. "Can this day get any worse?" She leaned against the wall and prepared to wait. She watched the other students at each station like a hawk, willing someone to get up and finish already, and fished her thumb drive out of her bookbag..

After a few minutes, a black-haired girl glanced up and smiled compassionately. She'd been in the same position before. Quickly, she waved the harried looking blonde over and offered pleasantly, "Here, Trixie. You can have my computer. I've just finished printing. Let me save it and then it's yours."

Trixie sat down gratefully in the vacated chair, her backpack landing on the floor with a thump that earned a look of annoyance from the student hard at work next to her. "Thanks, Sarah. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You're printing out a paper for that American Lit class, aren't you?" Sarah inquired conversationally as she put her finished paper into her bright pink binder. "My roommate Beth is in the same class with you. She was complaining about it all week."

She rolled her eyes, ready to release a torrent of complaints about the unfairness of it all. "Can you imagine? Giving homework on the first week of class? There ought to be a law against that." She placed her thumb drive on top of the desk and swivelled around to look at Sarah.

Releasing a short laugh, Sarah put her binder into her bag.. "I can one-up you on that one, Trixie. I have a project that's worth one-eight of my grade due on Monday. That's just insane. And on top of that, I have to work tonight. I'll see you around." Without glancing back, she hurriedly left the computer lab.

As Trixie rushed to place her thumb drive in the correct slot, she let out a small gasp. It was already occupied. Taking out Sarah's thumb drive, she got up from her seat and sped towards the door, hoping to catch the girl. Sarah was no where to be seen. Shaking her head, Trixie headed back to her computer. "I'll have to get it back to her later. Maybe I can give it to Beth in class," she said to herself. Sighing, she mentally forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

An hour later she was leaving the computer lab, her paper safely ensconced in her bag, as well as her friend's thumb drive. Lost in her private thoughts, she nearly stumbled when her cell phone vibrated by her hip. Reaching for it, she fumbled but recovered quickly. "Jim!" she practically yelled into the phone, startling the students around her, and absolutely delighted to have him on the line.

"What did we do without caller id?" His voice chuckled back huskily as he leaned back in his chair. He turned away from his computer screen, needing a break from his work, and prepared to enjoy the next few minutes of his day. It was likely the only break he would get. "Hello to you, too."

Trixie moved off to the sidewalk and perched on top of an unoccupied bench. She wasn't quite sure where to begin. "It's been quite a day, Jim," she finally said.

Jim looked at the clock, understanding the statement completely. It wasn't even one o'clock, yet it felt like the day had stretched on forever. "I know what you mean, Trix. Mine hasn't been that great either."

"Tell me about it," she encouraged him. She swatted away a big fat bee and concentrated on what Jim was saying to her.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping that would help stop the spread of his stress. A tiny headache was already forming behind his eyes and it only promised to get much worse before it got better. "I'm ready to strangle my advisor. He must be the most bumbling professor here at the school. How I ever got stuck with him I'll never know. He's cancelled and rescheduled every meeting that I've tried to set up. Today I got a nasty email from him like it's my fault we haven't been able to meet, demanding that we meet tomorrow morning to discuss the proposal on my dissertation."

"Oh, that's awful. I don't think you want to get together tonight, then, do you?" she surmised correctly, fervently hoping that she was wrong. She chewed on her bottom lip, hoping that her suspicions were wrong.

"And that's another reason why it's been a hell of a really bad day," he responded apologetically. "I hate to do it but I have to cancel the one thing I was really looking forward to. I'm sorry, Trix. There's no way I can get away. My professor gave me a list of things he expects from me in his latest email." He pushed away from the desk and stood up, pacing his living room, and ran a hand through his red hair.

She could hear the regret in his voice. That only made her feel worse. "Stupid professors." Trixie hung her head, wondering what else could possibly happen. Fate certainly seemed to be toying with her today and enjoying every moment of it. "They do like to make our lives really difficult, don't they?"

"I'm sorry," he said again. Shoulders slumped, he cursed the damned advisor he'd been assigned. "We'll get together tomorrow. I'll come over to your place as soon as my meeting's done, probably by noon at the latest. We can spend the whole day together."

She opened her mouth and then closed it. He didn't need to know the results yet, she reasoned inwardly. The stress he was under practically dripped from his words. She could almost feel the ache that must be pounding behind his beloved green eyes. "Tomorrow sounds great,'she said as cheerfully as she could muster, trying to mask the disappointment in her voice.

"Tonight would be better," he answered back wistfully. The trip to the bathroom seemed extra long to him. He reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled out a container of aspirin. Blessed relief from the dreadful ache was only a moment away. He took out two pills and then said, "I love you, Trix. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you, too," she answered back quietly. Then the phone clicked off. She sat for a full minute, not seeing the lovely late summer day around her or noticing the students hurrying by. Her fingers traced the design in the stone bench as she silently catalogued the events of her day. "What a day," she groaned as she stood up. She slowly trudged along to her next class, glad that it was her last one of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

Tempting Fate

Chapter Seven

The bright sunlight cascading through the branches overhead was in direct contrast to the gloomy mood exhibited by Trixie as she hurried along on the sidewalk, head bent, and not taken notice of the surroundings around. On autopilot, she could only think of a long, hot, refreshing shower to help erase many of the frustrations of her day. "Thank goodness this day is nearly over," she muttered to herself as she rolled a fatigued shoulder. "I didn't think it was ever going to end."

As Trixie barreled towards the door, a pair of strong arms caught her and wouldn't let her go any further. Startled, she tried to throw them off until she heard a familiar laugh. "And to what do I owe this treatment?" she asked haughtily, her patience stretched to the extreme, and her lips turned down at the corners.

Merry blue eyes that matched her own laughed back at her. "I called your name three times," Mart got out between laughs as he engaged in one of his favorite pastimes, poking fun at her, and enjoying having her at his mercy. "But your brain, small though it is, must have been otherwise occupied. Thinking, wool-gathering, day-dreaming...I'm unsure which pastime you were employing, although I highly doubt that thinking was one of them. I do know you all too well, sister of mine. You simply did not respond to any of my summonses."

She rubbed the small spot by the side of her tired head, hoping to ease the tension that was starting to accumulate there, and stared at the ground. A verbal foray with Mart was not needed right now, especially when she knew that she would not be able to hold up her end of the argument. She did not enjoy being the loser. "I get it, I get," she mumbled hollowly, holding up her hands in defeat. "It's been a tough day, Mart. Please take it easy on me."

The multi-syllabic reply froze on his lips. Frowning, he took a closer look at her and noted the slumped shoulder, the lack of the sparkle that normally danced in her eyes, and the small frown that tugged at her lips. "Tough day, huh?" he questioned and leaned against the railing.

"Gleeps, yes." She followed suit and dropped her book bag to the ground. Making a mental note to not tell him everything about the day, she started with her the annoyances of her classes. "It was quite a day, Mart. I nearly fell asleep in my first class, had a surprise essay in my second, and had to fight for a computer in the lab to print out a paper."

"My day was much better," he put in helpfully. "I'm really enjoying my journalism classes. It feels so good to be able to focus on that since I have all of my gen eds in."

The smile that was missing most of the day appeared briefly. It was amazing that while he could be the one to annoy her the most, he was also the one who understood how to make her feel better the best. It's because we're so much alike, she thought with an inward smile, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. Out loud, she said, "I'm glad for you, Mart. I wish I could have your enthusiasm."

There were times when actions spoke much louder than words, especially he complicated ones that he loved. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "That's not quite all, though, is it?" he prompted her quietly.

She dropped her head on his shoulders and released a long sigh. "Jim had a bad day, too. He's stuck at his apartment, working on a proposal for his advisor. He has to meet the man tomorrow, so..."

"No date tonight," he concluded correctly. He thought about not being able to spend time with Diana, especially after a bad day, and felt a wave of sympathy for his sister. "You could always come out with us. I'm waiting on Di now." He glanced at his watch. "It's only been fifteen minutes. She should be down soon." Di's habitual tardiness had been a source of frustration for Mart until he had come to the conclusion that he simply must accept it. It didn't bother him much anymore.

"Thanks for the offer," she refused politely. She reached over and gave him a grateful hug. "But I think I'm going to go take a nice, hot shower and then rest for the night. I don't think I'd be good company tonight."

"No problem. If you change your mind, give me a call." Mart squeezed her shoulder.

"Imagine this," Di called out as she headed towards, a vision of loveliness in a soft light blue dress. She held onto Mart's arm and laughed her tinkling laugh. "I leave my guy alone for a few minutes and he already has a stunning blonde on his arm."

Surprised by the urge to laugh, she let out a small giggle and felt a little better. "You can have him!" she joked back lightly and pushed away from him. "I spent enough years living in the same house with him."

After rolling his eyes, Mart smiled. "We'll see you later," he said. He guided Di carefully down the few steps and onto the sidewalk.

She acknowledged his farewell with a goodbye and headed up the seven flights of stairs, unconsciously counting each step, until she reached the door to the apartment. It took her a moment to fumble with her keys before finally opening the door. Glad to be home, she closed it and leaned against it, reveling in the feeling that the day was nearly over. She contemplated the ceiling for a moment and called on her remaining energy before moving from her spot. Between school, work, and the results of her "science experiment" from the morning, she had a lot to think about.

Three dry-erase boards decorated the living room wall, a gift from Honey who demanded that each of them let the others know their whereabouts throughout the days and evenings. Each board bore the name of one of the ladies in residence. Trixie smiled slightly as she read Di's message, written in her favorite purple. "Off on a date with my man, Mart. Don't call me...I'll call you! Back by 10." A lovely array of hearts and flowers were drawn around the board, a testament to her artistic ability. Honey's board cheerfully announced that she "was actually getting to have dinner with Dr. Belden. Will be back by 7 before he heads into work.." She had a picture of the handsome dark-haired man taped to her board. Trixie noticed that someone, most likely Honey, had written her whereabouts for the day. After finding out the results of their "science experiment" that morning, she had forgotten to "clock out." "Class...back by 4." She looked at the clock. "She was right."

After a refreshing shower and a quick sandwich, she felt much better and had more energy. Deciding that she should start some of her never-ending homework, Trixie sat down at the kitchen table with her laptop and her book bag. After flipping on her laptop, she reached into her book bag only to come up with two thumb drives. "That's right!" she exclaimed, holding the two aloft. "I forgot about Sarah's drive!"

She quickly opened her email and found a deleted email from Beth Parkins, a friend in her American Lit class. She typed a quick message to her, explaining that she had found Sarah's thumb drive at the computer lab and hadn't been able to give it to Beth since she hadn't been in class that afternoon. After sending the email, Trixie sat back and took a sip of her soda. She grabbed a textbook to start a reading when a her lap top rang blithely.

"Hmm," she mumbled as she opened up the email, surprised to see that Beth had responded so quickly. "OMG," the email read, "Am I ever so glad to hear this! Sarah was freaking out about it! She couldn't find her thumb drive anywhere. She's on her way to work right now. Maybe you could give her call. Her cell is 555-3928. Thanks!"

It wasn't a hardship to put her homework off for a few more minutes. Humming to herself, Trixie sent back a quick reply and then dialed the number. An answer came on the second ring. "Hey Sarah," she answered the slightly harried greeting. "It's Trixie Belden."

"Hi, Trixie," Sarah said, her mind on something else, and not paying close attention to the call. "I don't mean to be rude but I don't have much time right now. I'm just about ready to clock in for work tonight."

Trixie could hear dim voices in the background and the preoccupation in her friend's voice. "That's okay, Sarah. I know you're getting ready for work. I won't take up too much of your time. I wanted to let you know that I have your thumb drive. I picked it up at the computer lab today."

Sarah's voice instantly brightened. She let out a soft squeal of delight that the others around her ignored. Jumping up and down, she declared ecstatically, "You did! Oh, that's wonderful, Trixie. Most of my work for my research project is on it. I think I told you earlier that it's due on Monday. Oh my, I feel so much better now than I did a few minutes ago."

Forgetting her own issues for the moment, Trixie's blue eyes lit up with answering happiness. It always made her feel better to help someone out. "How would you like to get it? I wanted to give it to Beth today but she wasn't in class."

"No, she wasn't feeling well. She's on her way to her boyfriend's for some TLC." Sarah glanced at the clock and knew she didn't have much time before her shift started. Her supervisor did not tolerate tardiness. "Listen, I would love to get the thumb drive back ASAP. I wanted to do some work on my project tonight after I got home."

"I don't have anything going on tonight. I can drop it by your apartment, if you'd like," Trixie offered, excitement rising within her. It would be a relief to get away from the solitude of the four walls, with only her thoughts and her homework to keep her company.

Sarah blew out a breath and shook her head, her dark ponytail dancing. "That won't work. Beth won't be there and I don't want it hanging around. My neighbors are nice but I wouldn't trust them with something so important." She released a small disappointed groan. "Stupid me for leaving it in the lab. There's nothing else to do. I'll simply have to get it from you tomorrow. I'll..."

Trixie could hear the dejected tone and declared with her trademark impulsiveness, "Don't worry, Sarah. I could get it to you this evening. I already told you I don't have anything planned at all, other than schoolwork that I wouldn't mind not doing. My roommates are out on dates and my date cancelled on me. It won't be any trouble at all. Where do you work?"

"That would be great." Relieved to have the problem solved, Sarah let out a small giggle. "I could still work on my project after work tonight. You really don't mind?"

"Not at all." Trixie was smiling herself, happy to have a project to do. Helping out others was a still a favorite hobby of hers. She grabbed a pen and paper and ordered her, "Just tell me where I'm going!"

"The Ashlynn Hotel," Sarah announced and gave her the address. "I'm working as a server tonight in the Lilac Ballroom so you'll need to come up here. Senator McKelvin is hosting a dinner party this evening. It doesn't start until eight o'clock. Security will be tight so I'd suggest that you come sooner than later."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." After saying goodbye and clicking off the phone, Trixie headed back to her bedroom. She finally saw the hole in her jeans and the wrinkles in her red shirt and grimaced. Deciding that she should have on something a little more respectable than holey jeans and a wrinkled shirt, she pulled out a pair of black pants with a matching jacket and an emerald green shirt.

Out with the old, on with the new, and then she was ready to head out. Nearly making it to the door, she turned on her heels and headed quickly back to the wall of the dry-erase boards. She scrawled an explanation on her d board to let Honey and Di know where she was and when she was expected back, and then was out the door, her purse bouncing against her hip.

It took longer to reach the hotel than she expected. Traffic was difficult at this time of day. She held onto her cell phone, debating whether she should call Jim or not, and then decided to do it. She wanted to hear his voice, even if it was just on his voice mail. She wasn't surprised when she got his voice mail. "Hey, Jim," she said into her phone. "I just wanted to call and see how everything is going. I'm on an errand for a friend right now. I'm going to the Ashlynn Hotel to see her, then I'll be home. Feel free to give me a call if you get a chance. I love you and I can't wait to see you tomorrow." She smiled to herself, picturing his handsome face in her mind.

After a frustrating taxi ride full of more stops and less starts, she finally made it to the hotel. Paying the taxi driver for his time and adding a generous tip for his frustration, she was walking towards the front door of the impressive hotel and was inside in a heartbeat.

The activity in the lobby was mind-boggling. The large reception area was knee-deep in guests, almost too small to hold the number of people in attendance. Countless reporters and photographers were milling around the lobby, obviously waiting for the Senator and his guests to arrive for the evening, and talking excitedly with each other. Trixie was jostled as she tried to move into the room. Catching the eye of a wandering worker, she decided to bypass the reception desk and asked, "Excuse me. Could you tell me where the Lilac Ballroom is? I have..."

The worker didn't acknowledge her. "You and everyone else," he muttered before vaguely pointing down the hallway. "You'll need to check in with security there." And he was off, not offering her another thought, a very busy evening ahead of him.

She pursed her lips at his rudeness. Then she headed down the hallway, her feet eating up the carpet at a quick clip, excited to meet her friend and return the thumb drive. Without warning, she was stopped by an unsmiling security man, his arms crossed across his chest. "No one is allowed in here," he intoned impassively, and eyed her up. "Not without a ticket."

Brought to a halt, she stopped in her tracks. "I'm not here for the event," she explained with a quick smile that was not returned by the security officer. "You see, I have something I need to give to a friend who works here. Sarah...Sarah Blair? Do you know her? She is a server here and she's working tonight in the Lilac Ballroom."

The security officer sized her up, noting the earnest expression on her face. "What do you have to give her?" he questioned after making her squirm in her black flats.

Looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, Trixie reached into her small purse and pulled out the thumb drive. "I go to school with her," she explained quickly. "She let me use the computer she was in the computer lab but then she forgot to take this with her. I wanted to give it to her roommate but her roommate wasn't in our class today. She's feeling sick. Sarah said I could bring it here and...."

He raised a hand to stop her rambling. "Hmm," he said as he took the thumb drive. After inspecting it carefully, he handed it back to her.

"It's important to her," she continued on a rush when he didn't say anything else. Wishing she had Honey's thoughtful tact or Di's feminine persuasiveness, she pleaded sincerely, "I promised I'd get it to her today."

After an endless moment, he finally nodded and called a fellow security officer over. Pointing to the woman in front of him, he ordered the younger officer, "You'll need to escort this lady to the kitchens. She needs to see an employee in there. Sarah Blair is the name."

"Thank you." She breathed a silent sigh of relief and followed the silent officer. She had to hurry to keep up with him. He obviously didn't relish the added duty.. She was glad when they finally made it into the bustling kitchen. Wonderful smells permeated the air, making her stomach growl in anticipation. Ignoring her hunger, she stood off to the side of the crowded kitchen, searching the crowd of workers for Sarah.

It was Sarah who found her first. "Trixie!" She called out in greeting, an empty tray in her hands. She placed the tray on a counter space and motioned her friend over towards the back of the kitchen. Trixie had to wind her way carefully through the kitchen, keeping out of the way of the many workers engrossed in their work. They didn't acknowledge the stranger in their midst.

"Thanks so much for coming," she said and gave Trixie a quick hug. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Trixie hugged her back and said with a short laugh, "I was afraid at first that they were either going to arrest me or frisk me. I'm still slightly dazed that security let me through." She offered the thumb drive to Sarah. "And here it is!"

Sarah swiftly pocketed it and said gratefully, "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"It was nothing. Glad to do it." Trixie jumped when she heard a chef let loose a string of curse words, obviously not happy with someone's performance in the kitchen. "Uh, Sarah, I think I should be getting out of here sooner than later." She glanced over her shoulder, feeling out of place and unwelcome.

"Definitely." Sarah took her hand and brought her out of the kitchen and into a long, private hallway. "I have a quick minute. I'll show you a shortcut. There's a doorway to the alley. It might be easier for you to leave from there. I leave from there a lot, especially on a busy night like now. This place is getting very hectic. It's not every day we have a senator in the midst!"

Trixie followed her friend. "I noticed," she replied conversationally. " The main lobby was packed with reporters, photographers and guests. I wouldn't mind leaving by a quieter area. I can only imagine what the lobby looks like now."

Sarah stopped at the end of the hall and pointed to a door in front of them. "You can leave from here, Trixie. The door will lock behind you so you can't get back out." She gave her another quick hug and then sped back down the empty hallway, calling out, "Thanks again, Trixie. You're the best!"


	8. Chapter 8

Tempting Fate

Chapter Eight

Trixie looked at the door that Sarah had pointed to. She walked through it, glad that she wouldn't have to go back through the overly crowded hotel, and that she would be able to leave it with a minimum of fuss. She stepped through the door and gave a small shudder when it closed with a loud click behind her. Wondering if Sarah was right, she tried to open it and found that it was locked from the outside. Turning on the step, she studied the scenery in front of her.

The alley seemed to have forgotten that it was still daylight out. Shadows caused by the nearness of the buildings cast an almost eerie atmosphere that had Trixie shivering. "Maybe the lobby would have been better," she whispered to herself. Her senses on overload, she studied the alley, not missing anything. The alley was quiet and surprisingly clean. It seemed to be deserted. There were a few dumpsters on each side and two large cardboard boxes close to them. A small sound caused her to jump and her heart to start pumping wildly. She relaxed and then laughed at herself when a grey alley cat hissed at her and took off down the alley.

Grinning at her overactive imagination, recalling the many times her friends had teased her about it, Trixie started down the alley only to be halted immediately by the sound of a slamming metal door further down the alley and a pair of angry voices coming directly from behind her. Immediately on alert, not wanting to be spotted, she darted besides the closest dumpster. Trixie pulled out her cell phone, her only weapon, and turned all sounds off. As unobtrusively as possibly, she pulled part of the cardboard box over her. Crossing her fingers, she hoped that she was hidden from view.

Loud footsteps stomped down the alleyway, pausing precariously close to her hiding spot. She inched closer to the wall, feeling the brick against her back, and swore that she actually stopped breathing as she listened in on the confrontation between the two men.

"I've given you plenty of time," a deep male voice snarled viciously. "I want the next installment and I want it now. I won't put up with any of this crap you're trying to hand me. It's now or never, Senator." He spoke the title like it was an ugly curse word, not a respectable title.

"You received my last message," the one referred to as the Senator answered back calmly. His feet were much quieter and his tone was more reserved and steady. "I have had enough of this foolishness, Cord. I will not pay anymore to you. It is over. You need to accept it."

Trixie chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she tried to place the second voice. She had heard it somewhere before but where? Curious about what was taking place in front of her, she inched a little further forward and quietly turned on the video of her phone. She held it in the direction of the men's voices and started recording. She shook her head as she noticed that she got a few great shots of their legs and shoes.

"Senator McKelvin, presidential hopeful," the man named Cord spit back and laughed haughtily. She could imagine the sneer that played across his lips.. "I don't think you'll be garnering much support from the constituents once I share with them your dirty little secret. It'll be finished for you. You'll be one more senator who has fallen from grace."

She moved her phone closer to the sound of the in front of her and hid a quiet gasp of surprise when she realized who it was. Senator William McKelvin of New York, famed for his truthfulness and good will projects to the people in New York, and a potential candidate for the presidency in the next election. He was well liked by all and hadn't had even the tiniest hint of a scandal attached to his name.

"I told you I would not bow to your threats anymore." The senator explained carefully and calmly, as if he was trying to calm an unruly child. He moved to the wall opposite Trixie. She was able to get a perfect shot of his face from her position but cursed inwardly when she couldn't get a good shot of the blackmailer.

Cord moved closer to the Senator, his wide back blocking her view. Without warning he grabbed a fistful of the man's shirt and shoved him hard against the wall. "You can't do this to me," he yelled at him, his lips curled derisively. "I'll take you down, see that I don't. There are many reporters who would love to see the pictures I have of you. I'll sell them and laugh the whole way to the bank while your house of cards falls down all around you. You screwed up and you're going to pay."

Senator McKelvin knocked the other man's hands off of him and moved away from the wall. "Cord, I'm not afraid of your threats anymore. I never should have been afraid of you and your pictures to begin with. I wouldn't be in this mess right now if I had done the right thing to begin with." He attempted to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt, keeping the shorter man in his sights the entire time.. "I made a mistake, Cord. If the public can't forgive me, then so be it."

"The people of the United States are going to love to see you fall. You know that the general public thrives on scandals," Cord threw back at him with a jeering laugh. "Can you imagine? I can see the head lines now. Promising Presidential Candidate in Bed With the Wife Of His Strongest Supporter. What a scandal! The reporters are going to tear you apart. There's no hope for you now, Senator."

Trixie was spellbound as she watched Cord's knuckles connect with the Senator's handsome face. She covered her eyes, unsure of what to do. Calling for help was out. They would hear her and then she would be brought into this mess. She wasn't a physical match either. Self-preservation called for her to stay where she was and record the entire thing. There was no way she could possibly help. She watched as the Senator threw the smaller but swarthy man to the ground and wiped the blood from his lip.

"That's enough!" Senator McKelvin growled angrily, pushed to his limits. "I'm not letting this go any further, Cord. I'm going to call the police. Then you can tell my tale from a cell where you are being held for extortion and assault and battery. It won't mater to me then if I do lose my political following. At least you'll get what's coming to you."

Cord pushed himself up from the ground, his face flushed a mottled red, and the glint in his eyes almost inhuman. "You're the one who's going to lose everything. Your wife, your job, your best friend, your hope for the presidency. You'd be a fool to not pay me. It's your last chance, Senator. I'd take it if I was you."

"No, I was a fool to pay you to begin with." The Senator ran his fingers through his dark hair, wondering where it had all gone so wrong for him. He had always been so careful and aware of his role. The affair had simply happened. It hadn't been planned and it hadn't been continued. Wrong place, right time, and only the one time. How was he to know that there was a paparazzi following him? He shook his head at his folly, knowing how much it was going to cost him, but being unable to cover it any longer. "It's over, Cord. I won't do it any longer. I'm going to announce it tonight at the party."

"Do what you have to do." The smaller man read the ray of truth in the steely gray eyes in front of him. Left with his last option, his only way out of the situation, he reached casually into his coat pocket. "You can't say I didn't give you a chance," he reasoned with a small shrug, and pulled out his salvation from his pocket..

Trixie's wide eyes focused on the gun glinting dully in the smaller man's hands. Her heart started beating erratically. Suddenly sweaty fingers nearly dropped her phone. Luckily she was able to catch it before it hit the ground. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and went unnoticed as she watched the dramatic scene unfolding in front of her, unable to tear her gaze away from it. What can I do? ran through her mind but the answer evaded her. She held onto her stomach and prayed for a peaceful ending.

"Not so sure of yourself now, are you, Senator?" Cord asked with a grin that could only be termed evil. Holding the gun gave him a return of his confidence and a semblance of the power that had been missing within him before.

Senator McKelvin's face was a picture of pure and utter shock. "You really want to add murder to your list of charges?" he asked quietly. He slowly gauged the distance between them, wondering if he could catch Cord by surprise. It seemed to be his only chance now.

"You've left me no choice." His grin grew bigger as he explained, almost delighted by the outcome of their meeting, "This gun is a Glouck. Very powerful, very deadly. And you see this?" Casually, he pointed to the silver attachment at the barrel of the gun. "This is a silencer. Very useful. No one is going to hear the shots. No one. No witnesses. The only thing that will be left is your dead body."

Senator McKelvin looked up and down the alley, cursing the man in front of him and hoping that someday he would burn in hell. The bastard was right. Left with no other option, he attacked Cord, praying for the best. Cord was expecting it, reveled in it, and easily threw the older man to the ground, right in front of Trixie's line of view.

"Stupid, very stupid. You should have paid me the money. Senator," he added as an insulting afterthought. Then, as he saw the fear burgeoning in the other man's eyes, he pointed the gun at his chest and fired two well-aimed shots in rapid succession.

Trixie bit her lip so hard that she broke skin. A tiny bead of blood gathered on her bottom lip, unnoticed, as she watched in absolute horror as the man called Cord laugh evilly and nudged the prone body of the man on the ground.

"Not so tough now, are you?" he questioned the downed man. He laughed as he watched the man writhe in pain on the ground. "I could put you out of your misery now but I think I'll let you suffer a little longer." Whistling a cheerful tune in direct contrast to the evil that he had done, he pocketed the gun and walked briskly down the alley way, not looking back once, and disappeared in the night, confident that he had gotten away with murder.

Trixie watched the man leave, in complete and total shock. It took her a full minute to move from her hiding spot. Recovering her wits as quickly as her muddled brain would let her, she went to the body of the downed Senator and saw the results of the shots. Two holes were on the right side of his chest. Blood was seeping out in huge amounts. She quickly took off her jacket and pressed it to the wounds, hoping to staunch the blood, and then looked at her cell phone. She watched in dismay as the phone went dark. The battery was dead. Swearing, she realized she couldn't call for help.

Eyes wide with pain met bright blue ones. "Are you an angel?" he asked groggily, the pain nearly doing him in. He focused in on the blonde beauty in front of him.

"No, no, no," she stuttered out, holding the jacket tightly to his chest. Her brows furrowed together in sorrow. "I'm so sorry. I watched it happen. I'm so sorry I couldn't help. I taped it."

He nodded, glad that the man responsible would face the law with enough proof to put him behind bars for life. Black spots appeared before his eyes but there was something he wanted to do for her, to help her in the way she was helping him. "Peters."

She looked up from her ministrations, confused, and repeated stupidly,. "Peters?"

"Call Peters." It took a huge effort but he moved his left hand and pointed to the pocket in his charcoal gray Armani suit coat. "Call him."

One hand on her the wounds, she reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. It took her a moment to call up the names on the phone. Forgetting that calling for help would have been a more logical choice, she followed his orders. As swiftly as she could, she found Peters' number and called him. Listening to the Senator's gasping breathing, possibly his last few breaths, she whispered helplessly and wiped his brow, tears glistening in her eyes, "It'll be okay." He didn't answer her.

A man answered on the other end of the line with a brisk, "Peters."

"Peters. Hi," Trixie started rambling out, the shock of the evening starting to affect her, as she noted the Senator McKelvin was most likely breathing his last few breaths of air. "I'm...ah...oh, my...I'm Trixie Belden, calling from Senator McKelvin's phone. I'm, ah...I'm...here in an alley behind the Ashlynn with the Senator. He's, oh goodness, well, he's been shot."

Years of training kicked in. Peters immediately pulled himself to attention. He grabbed a bag from his closet and was in motion, out the door and in the elevator before the woman on the other end had finished with her garbled explanation to him. He didn't have much time to help her but help her he would. The Senator obviously wanted him to. "Listen carefully. Don't call 911," he ordered in clipped tones, surprising Trixie with the forcefulness of his tone. "Get into a hiding space in that alley and stay there. Take all of your belongings to the hiding space with you. I'll be there in a few minutes, five tops. Since you have his cell phone, take it with you. Don't call anyone, friends, family, husband, anyone. Get away from the Senator and get yourself safe. Now." The connection ended with a sharp click.

Hating to do it, Trixie took her jacket off the Senator. She cupped his cheek and said as softly as she could, "I'm so sorry I couldn't have done more."

It seemed that the Senator knew what Peters had told her to do. "Go," he told her weakly. His breathing was more labored and it scared her. She moved back to her hiding space and curled up into a small ball, her black jacket and purse momentarily forgotten on the ground near her. Tears stung her eyes. She hated not helping him. She hated not calling 911. It went against her personality. She looked at his phone, mentally debating with herself, but then decided against it. It wouldn't be too long before the man called Peters was there and then he would do what needed to be done. The tears fell harder when she realized that the Senator was no longer breathing.

Shock starting to set in, she didn't hear the same door she had entered open softly or close softly. A pair of soft brown loafers appeared in front of her. "Miss Belden," a quiet voice greeted her. "Come out, please."

She scurried out of her hiding place, blood stains on her emerald green shirt and on her hands. Her ruined black jacket hung from her nervous fingers. "Peters?" she questioned, her voice on the edge of hysteria.

He nodded an acknowledgment and handed her a brown paper bag. "There's a shirt in there, as well as a hat, a wig and a pair of fake glasses. Put them on, Miss Belden. There are also wipes to clean your hands and face. You don't have much time. You will need to hurry."

His orders were given in a tone that was not to be disobeyed. She followed his directions automatically, unable to question why she needed to get changed or why there wasn't much time. She put the gray shirt over her green one. After adjusting the nondescript brown wig, she put the floppy black hat on top. "Aren't you going to help the Senator?" she questioned as she held the glasses in her hand.

"I'm here to help you. The Senator wanted it that way." Peters reached out his hand. "The cell phones, please. I need yours and the Senator's."

Trixie handed the phones over without question. "I taped it all," she informed him again, her voice wobbling as she remembered what she had just seen.

Seeing her about to crumple, he ordered her, "Don't. You have much left to do, Miss. Your job is not finished yet."

She shook her head, confused, and eyed him warily. What else could she possibly do tonight? she wondered. Depositions and interviews floated through her mind. "Like what?"

"Pay close attention. A lot depends on how well you carry this out." He waited until her blue eyes met his. Taking the glasses from her nerveless hands, he placed them on her face. Then he nodded, pleased with the disguise. It would be hard to place her as the young blonde who had come through the hotel earlier. "You will head back through that door and walk slowly to the front door of the hotel. You will not speak to anyone or call attention to yourself. When you get to the front door, I want you to raise your hand three times. A taxi will come to get you with the number 38 on the side. Get into that taxi, Miss Belden, no others. It will take you safely to where you need to go."

She wondered about all the subterfuge but decided it was best to follow along. Her mind simply was not working as clearly as it normally would be. Giving a curt nod, she followed Peters to the door, only mildly surprised when he was able to open the door from the outside. Then she stepped through it. She looked back but the door closed. Peters did not come with her. It felt like a dream as she walked unhurriedly down the hallway, doing her best to follow Peters' directions. She passed people but didn't see them. After reaching the lobby, she stayed to the edges of the crowd of reporters and photographers and eventually wound her way to the front door. It took a considerable effort for her to remember how to hail the taxi. Raising her hand one, two, three times, she noted that a taxi pulled up in front of her, the number 38 prominently displayed. Without hesitating, she entered the backseat of the taxi, and mentally patted herself on the back for getting this far.

Automatically, she gave the driver her address and leaned against the back of the seat, closing her eyes in weary resignation. She assumed that Peters would get in contact with her there. She couldn't wait to get home, to see Honey and Di and share with them the events of her evening. She would even call Jim and interrupt his work. He wouldn't mind, she reasoned, not when she told him her unbelievable story. Gripping her purse, she started to look for her cell phone to call him. She needed to hear his voice dreadfully. But then she remembered that she didn't have her cell phone in her possession anymore.

"Damn," she cursed with a weariness she couldn't ever remember feeling before. She looked out the window, hoping to take her mind off of her evening, and received an even bigger shock. They were nowhere near her neighborhood. "Where the hell are we?" she demanded harshly, leaning forward and noting the unfamiliar territory to the driver's attention. "This isn't the way to my apartment.".

"I'm taking you to where you need to be going," her driver responded evenly, noting the way her blue eyes were starting to flame with ire. "Where you'll be safe, Miss."

"I'll be safe at home," she argued angrily and slammed her hand against the car seat. "I want you to take me home. Now." She crossed her arms as she stated her demand, fully intending the driver to follow her directions.

"Can't do that," the driver said with an emphatic shake of his head. "I have my own orders to follow, Miss. I'm taking you to a safe house, just outside of the city. You're in the Witness Protection Program now."

Her eyes slowly widened until they were dark blue orbs that nearly swallowed the small black pupils. Terrified, she let out a sharp, "No! No, I can't be in the Witness Protection Program! There's got to be some kind of a mistake," she declared insistently. .

Her driver stared at her out of the corner of his eyes. He hated this part of his job. Sympathy coated his voice as he replied evenly,. "Sorry, Miss. There's no mistake. You witnessed a murder. You _are_ in the program, whether you want to be or not."

"No, no, no, no." Trixie closed her sad blue eyes and dropped her head against the window, shocked to the core. This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening, ran like a mantra through her brain. She knew the strict regulations that governed the people in the Witness Protection Program. She knew what it meant, what she would have to give up, what she would miss. Tears slowly traveled down her face, unnoticed and untended, as she hugged herself in comfort. Her soul wanted to weep for all that she stood to lose. Only this morning she had woken up, concerned about turning in a paper, and now..."This isn't right. This just isn't right," she muttered softly, feeling numb, and wished that there was someway out of the nightmare that had just become her life.


	9. Chapter 9

Tempting Fate

Chapter Nine

The room she had been ushered into a few minutes earlier was decorated in warm tones of cream and yellow. A large fireplace dominated the room, encased in gorgeous dark bricks. Many watercolor paintings dotted the wall while lamps gave a soft glow that was meant to be inviting but not to her. Trixie wrapped her arms around her body, drained of all energy and her hope. She felt like a shell of her normal self. She glanced at the only sound in the room. A large clock sat on the mantel of a charming fireplace, joyfully ticking away the minutes. It felt to her like it was ticking away the remaining time left on the life that she loved. Stunned, broken, and beaten, she slowly sank onto the sofa, her face a portrait of shock.

The driver of taxi came into the room, two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. "Make yourself comfortable, Miss Belden." He offered one to her. When she didn't take it, didn't even recognize his offer, he wrapped her hand around the mug. "Here, drink this," he told her gently. "It'll help warm you up."

Frightened eyes met his. She was dwelling in a world of numb shock with no apparent hope of getting out. "I don't think anything can help me now," she murmured between slack lips. The warmth of the mug did nothing to heat her up. It took all her concentration to hold onto the mug and not let it fall.

He sat back on a chair, slowly studying the woman in front of him, and felt sympathy well up in him for her. He saw her overly white face, the pooling tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, and the way she tried to keep her hands from shaking. Appreciating the control she was attempting to hold over herself with a short nod, he quietly introduced himself and proceeded as soothingly as he could. "My name is Agent Grozanick. As you know, I work with for the Witness Protection Program."

She flinched when he said the name of the agency. Desperately needing something to keep her hands occupied, she cupped the mug and slowly brought it to her lips. The warmth didn't penetrate her; nor did the taste. "Right," she got out through shaky lips.

"Peters called me right after you called him," he continued evenly, keeping the sympathy he felt for the young woman out of his voice. She wouldn't appreciate it, not when her life was falling apart around her. "He told me what happened in the alley and we quickly devised a plan to help you. It may need a few little adjustments before all is said and done but I believe it's going to be very serviceable for you. Would you like to hear it?"

Normally, her curiosity would have gotten the better of her and questions would have been jumping past her lips. Right now, she couldn't even focus on what the agent was saying to her. Squeezing her eyes tightly, she tried to block out the events of the past hour. Was it only a short while ago I was in the safety of my apartment? she wondered forlornly, hoping against hope that this was some kind of a dreadful nightmare she would wake from soon.

Not surprised or insulted by her lack of response, he went forward with his explanation. "It was good, very good for us, that you didn't call anyone but Peters, a stroke of great fortune for all of us. Because you followed his orders, it's made things much easier for you. We'll be able to completely eradicate your presence from the alley."

"What?" burst out of her like a shot from a cannon. She leaned forward, nearly spilled her coffee, as hope began to pour through her like a rainbow breaking through the clouds.

He steepled his hands under his chin and took infinite care with his explanation.. "Yes. Peters was able to locate a recently deceased woman. He has had her body placed in the alley, in the exact same spot where you were hiding. He has also started the process of having your information from your cell phone erased, except for the video, and replaced with her information, so that it will appear that she recorded the murder. It will be like you were never even there, Miss Belden. It will be believed that one of the bullets ricocheted off the wall and incidently killed her. All of the credit will go to her. You will not need to testify in court to what you saw. We have already dismantled the security cameras in the area so we do not have to worry about that. With the video you took we didn't need them."

Relief, blessed relief, pumped through her, promising that there may be an end to this nightmare. "Then it's over?" she asked in disbelief. "When can I get out of here? When can I go back to..."

He interrupted her with a shake of a head and held up a hand. "Please let me continue, Miss Belden." He took a sip of his coffee and wished that there was something stronger than two shots of creamer in it. He didn't want to extinguish the light that had entered her eyes. "Your presence will be protected, as protected as Peters and I can make it. But nothing is 100 percent. There's still the chance that someone may have seen you in the alley or that Cord Dolin may have come back and watched you help the Senator. We cannot be sure that your presence wasn't detected in some way, shape or form."

"But that's not right!" Her desperation for denial was painful to witness. "If no one thinks I was there, why can't I go back to my life? I don't want to be here. I want to be _there_!" She jerked her hand to the outside world. Her jumbled mind couldn't quite wrap itself around the severity of the situation.

At times like this he despised his job. Regretting that he had to do this, he continued on as if she hadn't interrupted him. "You are as protected as we can make it. And your case will be classified as low risk. Peters has requested that there be no paper trail for you, as an added way to protect you. Sometimes leaks happen." He waited until her troubled gaze met his and then informed her lowly, "But there is still a risk that your identity has been compromised. We do not want to take that chance, Miss Belden, not when you, your friends or your family could be at risk."

Arguments were chocked back on a sob. She bit her lip to keep from crying and focused on the agent's movements. She watched him warily as he reached into his briefcase. He pulled out a lap top and set it up in front of her, using his finger expertly to call up what he needed. Mustering a business-like tone, he offered, "Let me show you what happens to people in your position who feel that they are safe. It's not a pretty picture, Miss Belden. I would highly recommend erring on the side of caution."

After taking another sip of her coffee, she leaned forward and focused in on the computer screen. A smiling couple with a beautiful son standing in front of a lovely suburban home stared back at her, the family dog romping around the front yard. "These were the Mills, a typical American family. Mr. Mills had the misfortune to be working for an insurance company that was embezzling money. When he found out about it, he reported it to the authorities right away. It was recommended that he and his family join our program for their safety. The father laughed it off, claimed that they were safe, and that there was no need to go to such an extreme."

He sighed wearily. He had argued long and hard with the father, to no avail. Agent Grozanick waited until she looked back at him, trepidation crawling into her eyes. "This is what happened to him, his wife, their son, her parents and the dog."

She jumped, spilling coffee on her pants, and didn't even feel it. The grisly picture in front of her had her spellbound with absolute horror. The members of the family had been butchered in a way she couldn't believe, laid out on the floor in front of their Christmas tree as some kind of a sick offering. "Oh, oh, my..."She shut her eyes, hoping to block out the sight, and averted her face. "That's awful, just awful. Turn it off, turn it off. Dammit, just turn it off!"

He didn't react, only called up another picture of a smiling college co-ed with flowing black hair. It was a despicable thing for him to do and he hated every minute of it but it was necessary. He did not want to add her picture to the collage of failures from the program. "This lovely lady was Isabella Grayson, a pre-med student at the University of Virginia. Had excellent grades, lots of friends, a fiancé who loved her, and a very promising career ahead of her. She was attacked one night coming home from a party. She survived the attack and was able to identify the man. She testified against him in court and then, with our persistence, entered our program. Unfortunately, the man had known ties to the mob."

"I don't want to know, I don't want to know," she pleaded softly, covering her ears and trying not to listen to the story.

He spoke a little louder. "She was in our program for five months. After five months, and with her attacker sentenced to life in jail, she started to feel safe. And she made the biggest mistake of her life." He slowly called up the next picture. Trixie couldn't even look at it. "She called her mother, told her she was okay, and that she would be coming home. It wasn't much of a home-coming, Miss Belden."

A tear slowly traced its way down her waxen cheek, for her or for the people in the pictures, she didn't know or particularly care. "I get it," she choked out. "Really, I do. No more, please. Please, no more," she pleaded on a soft sob of sorrow.

With a flick of the wrist the pictures were off the screen. "You need to understand the severity of what has happened, Miss Belden. Although Peters was able to work quickly to hide your presence there, we can never predict what could happen. Cord Dolin is the man who murdered the Senator. While he's a two-bit member of the paparazzi, he also happens to be a former card-carrying member of a biker gang in the area. While they aren't as strong as they used to be, they won't like it when he goes down for murder. It's certain that they would want to get revenge on the person responsible for getting their buddy locked up."

She slumped against the back of the sofa, the softness of the material not registering, defeated, a shell of her former spunky self. "There's no hope for me, then," she breathed out harshly. "There's no hope at all."

"You have my deepest condolences, however insignificant you may find them. However, we still have a few more decisions that need to be made." His cell phone let out a loud beep. Glancing at the text message, he asked her without thinking, his concentration on the task at hand and not on how she would take it, "Do you want to die or go missing?"

"What?" she shot back angrily, her back ramrod straight. She jumped off the sofa, hands clutched at her side, prepared to do battle. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Swearing, he wished that his partner wasn't on a much-needed vacation. She was much better at dealing with new enrollees in the program than he was. "Do you want your family to think you are dead or that you are missing?" he clarified. "It's your choice, really, although I would recommend letting your family think that you are dead. It can bring your friends and family much needed closure if they believe you are dead. The effects of a missing person on a family can be felt forever."

It was unfathomable. She felt like Alice, falling through the hole into some kind of world that she never knew existed. Emotionally exhausted, she collapsed on the sofa and dropped her head in her hands, attempting to soothe away the headache that was raging behind her eyes. "Dead, I guess," she murmured finally. It felt like her soul was being ripped to shreds.

He texted the response back rapidly, unable to comfort the young woman in front of him. He focused on the good news from Peters. "Well, we've got some more good news to help us out. The timing's lucky for us again. There's been a subway crash on the line close to your apartment. We'll have to work fast but it'll work if we plant some of your things there."

"How could a subway crash be called lucky?" she muttered to herself, wondering how her life had turned into absolute hell. The rest of his words sunk in. Realizing that he would want her things, she immediately hid her engagement ring with her other hand. There was no way she was parting with that.

"You'll need to go to the room at the end of hall. There are clothes that you can change into there. Take everything you have off and put it in this bag. Then we'll take it to the site of the crash."

She reached for the bag. Her legs felt wooden as she headed down the hall to the bedroom. Surely this couldn't be happening, Trixie thought to herself, feeling much older than her twenty-one years. When she reached the room, she moved in quickly and found the clothes hanging in the closet. It didn't take her too long to strip off her bloodstained shirt and pants and slip into the new outfit. The pale yellow shirt hung on her; the matching tan pants were a little big but she didn't care. The socks and soft brown loafers were the only articles of clothing that fit perfectly.

With a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching, she hurriedly slipped her engagement ring into her pocket. Then she opened her purse and pulled out a few pictures. Working fast, she put two pictures in her back pocket. She had chosen a picture of the seven Bob-Whites taken the summer before last at a picnic on the lake and her engagement picture of her and Jim. "I've got to have something," she reasoned to herself. She placed her purse and clothes in the brown paper bag as instructed and headed back to the room.

Agent Grozanick studied her carefully when she came back into the room. "We'll need your necklace too." He noticed that her hands trembled as she unclasped it and placed it in the bag. She despised having to give up her gold locket. "I know it's hard but it's the best thing for your friends and family. It's the only way we can guarantee your safety." When she didn't' respond, only looked straight ahead as if this was somehow his fault, he released a low sigh. "Now, Peters will be here in a minute or two. He'll let himself in. I'll have your things planted at the site of the crash. Peters will take care of a few loose ends."

The silence in the small house was unbelievable. Destroyed by the events of the evening, she slowly sank to the thick carpet and wrapped her arms around her knees. Harsh sobs wracked her body uncontrollably. The realization of what was happening to her enfolded its icy fingers around her heart, squeezing all that was joyful out of her.

Peters paused in the doorway, the display of such grief and despair eating away at him. It was a sight he wasn't likely to forget. He backed slowly out of the doorway and headed back to the front door, being sure to close it loudly so that she would hear his arrival and have time to compose herself. He slowly made his way back to the room.

She jumped at the noise and quickly wiped away her tears. Moving to the ottoman near her, she carefully perched herself on it, hoping to compose herself before Peters made it to the room. Her pride was all that she had left and she'd be damned before she let someone see the depths to which she had sunk. She tightly clenched and unclenched her hands and watched the doorway.

"I understand you have had quite a chat with Agent Grozanick," he started easily as he came into the room, impressed by how quickly she had pulled herself together. The tear stains on her cheek and the red-rimmed eyes were the only evidence of her breakdown. She was smart and would come out of this the very best that she could. He had no worries about that.

Her laugh was short, rusty, and devoid of any mirth. "I've learned a lot."

"Well, it's now our turn to get down to business while Agent Grozanick takes care of his end. He won't be back." He opened up his lap top and placed it on the coffee table, ready to get to work. "We need to come up with a new identity for you, plus a place where you would like to live, and travel arrangements on how to get there.. The sky's the limit, Miss Belden. I'll do my best to make this unexpected change for you as easy as possible. "

An image of Crabapple Farm popped into her mind; warm, lovely, lively Crabapple Farm with its infamous stretchy walls. It was home, her home, and where she desperately wanted to be. No other place in the world could ever mean so much to her. "Go on," she intoned hollowly.

"Name first. Think of something that you would like to be called, something that you wouldn't have trouble responding to but that wouldn't be too close to your real name." He pulled up the file he had created on her, ready to veto any names that were too close to her friends and family.

She pursed her lips and thought long and hard. The name finally came to her. "Katie," she said with a slight awe to her voice, the only way she could still feel close to Jim. "I guess I'd like to be Katie. Katie Frayne." It was the only thing that felt right about the entire debacle.

"I can give you Katie," he responded as he checked her information carefully, noting the name of her fiancé with a small frown. "But I can't give you Frayne, you must understand that. It's too close to your real identity. We can't take the chance that someone would put the two together. It must be something different than Frayne."

"How did..." she started to question him but then stopped herself. Of course he would know her personal information. Hadn't he just orchestrated a crime scene to meet his own specifications? "Never mind. How about Winthrop, then? That would work, right?"

"Katie Winthrop. Excellent." The keys clacked rhythmically as he typed in the information. It was much easier to concentrate on the business end of things, not the messy emotional ones. Arching an eyebrow, he inquired, "Middle name?"

"Helen," she responded quicky, wondering if she was pushing her luck. She crossed her fingers and hoped that he would give her Moms' name.

He pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then typed it in. "Katie Helen Winthrop. Sounds like a good name." Looking her square in the eyes, he questioned, "Before we go any further, is there anything else you feel that I should know? Now is the time to do it and we need to do it right. Don't hold anything back, Miss Winthrop." The use of her new name was intentional. She needed to get used to it.

"Yeah, I guess there is something else you should know about me. I don't think you'll find it in your computer." Eyes glazed at the mention of her new name and then she took a deep breath. She wanted to scream, to curse, but mostly she wanted to share her news with Jim, not some stranger in a nondescript brown suit. She wanted to see Jim's eyes light up, to feel his arms wrap around her, and to hear his voice exclaim his happiness but the cruel and twisted hands of fate were laughing at her and would not let that happen. "I'm pregnant."


	10. Chapter 10

Tempting Fate

Chapter Ten

With a small whoosh, Honey pushed open the door to the apartment, grocery bags spilling out of her arms, her keys dangling from the lock. "I'm home, Trixie, Di!" she called out. Almost dropping the bags, she clutched them tighter and stumbled her way into the kitchen. "I stopped at the market on the corner to get a few things so I'm late. Care to help me put them away?"

She dropped the bags on the counter, noting Trixie's mess on the kitchen table with a small grin. "Never changes," she said on a tinkling laugh. After a long moment, she realized that neither roommate answered her greeting. "Trixie, Di?"

Moving a delicate shoulder, she decided, "No one must be here." Honey made quick work out of putting the groceries away, humming the whole while. When she was finished, she neatly folded up the paper bags and stuck them under the sink. Then she walked into the living room to read their message boards.

"Di's with Mart, of course," she noted without surprise. "And Trixie..." She read the hastily scrawled note again, confused by its contents. "Gone to return a thumb drive to Sarah at the Ashlynn...will be back by seven." Honey glanced at the clock and noticed that it was nearly eight. "She must be running late."

She decided that it would be best to make use of the quiet in the apartment. It was rare to have it all to herself. After retrieving a textbook and highlighter from her bookbag, she curled up on the sofa, preparing to get engrossed in her upper level chemistry course.

After forty-five minutes, the black words began to blur and dance in front for her eyes. She had had enough. The book fell with a thud as she stood up and stretched out the kinks in her body. Curiously, she glanced at the clock, noting the time again. "Hmmm, still no Trixie." Digging deeper into her backpack, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the familiar number and was vaguely surprised when it went straight to voice mail. It wouldn't be the first time Trixie had forgotten to turn her phone on or had let the battery die. "Oh, well, let's try something else, then." She tried Di next.

It took a moment before Di answered. She swore inelegantly as she looked at the caller id and saw who it was. She couldn't refuse to answer a call from one of her best friends, even at a time like this. "Yes, Honey?" she asked breathlessly, fumbling to hold on the phone as Mart ignored the phone call and continued his ministrations.

Pink tinged Honey's cheeks as it became clear what she was interrupting. "Sorry, Di," she mumbled incoherently. "Just wondering if...never mind, Di. I'll, ah, I'll see you later." It was a relief to hang up the phone. Clearly Trixie was definitely not with them.

Then the lines on her forehead furrowed together, deep in thought. Suddenly snapping her fingers, she proudly announce, "Let's try Jim." She dialed his cell phone and his home phone and got nothing but the voice mail. Tapping a finger against the coffee table, getting nowhere quick and started to become frustrated, she thought long and head and then decided to send him an email. "He's probably working. I know he'll see an email. He'll probably even take time to read it."

The keys clacked together as she swiftly typed in her message. It was short, sweet and to the point. "Call me now." Trying to ignore her growing worries, she got up from the sofa to get a glass of water while she waited.

Her brother was certainly reasonably prompt. Even though she was expecting a call she still jumped when her phone rang, her nerves on edge. "Jim?" she asked stupidly, her glass of water suspended in midair.

Just as expected, he couldn't overlook her message, even if he had wanted to. He rubbed his tired, aching eyes. "Yeah, Honey. You rang?"

"Hah, hah," she tried to laugh back but it sounded stiff, even to her ears. Not wanting to bring up the reason for her call so soon, she tried for some small talk first. "Long day, huh?"

"You can't even begin to imagine." His headache had long since faded away, thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, but not the tension. He leaned back in his chair and attempted to massage his shoulders. And, unfortunately, there was still much work left to do before he could call it finished. "What's up, Honey? It's got to be quick. I still have a few things left to do on my proposal before my meeting tomorrow morning."

"On your...? Never mind," she interrupted herself, her laugh now tinged with a small touch of hysteria. "You can tell me later. Believe it or not, I'm actually trying to get in touch with Trix. I gather, since you're working on your graduate work, that she's not with you?"

"I wish she was," he mumbled so softly that she almost didn't hear it. He stood up from his chair, slightly surprised that he could still move. It seemed like hours since he had left the chair. "She's not home?"

Honey studied the time on the clock and did her best to block out her troubled thoughts. "It's after nine, Jim. She left a note, of course. She's generally pretty good about that. You know how the three of us like to do that? That way we all know where we are, or at least we should if we remember to write it down. It's been a good way to communicate with our hectic schedules and all that..."

"Honey," he broke in, ending her seemingly endless stream of rambling.

"Oh, right." She tamped down on her nerves, took a deep breath, and announced on a rush, "Her note said that she'd be home by seven. And her phone's turned off," she informed him before he could ask.

"That's odd. Maybe she's at the gym? I know her day wasn't much better than mine." He opened the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of orange juice. His stomach rumbled, reminding him he had forgotten to eat lunch and dinner. He rummaged among its contents, hoping for something that wasn't expired, and cradled his cell phone close to his ear.

The results of their escapade of the morning played across her mind. "Somehow, I doubt that," she spoke with a certainty he didn't understand.

He pulled out a container of leftover Chinese food and vaguely wondered how long it had been in there. Setting it aside, he reached for an apple. At least it didn't have mold on it, he thought, as he took a bite. "What about Mart and Di? Maybe she's out with them."

Her giggle sounded normal this time. "Now I _seriously_ doubt that. I think I interrupted something when I called," she added in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Brian or Dan?" came quickly between another bite.

"Both are working and neither are allowed to have their cell phones on during work hours. You know they would both get into trouble if they did. I just can't see Trixie visiting either one of them at work. I think they'd get into trouble if she did." She played nervously with her gold chain and released a pent-up breath. As much as she didn't want to worry him, she knew she didn't have a choice. It was time to lay it on the line. "This is Trixie we're talking about, Jim. You know her as well as I do. I'm starting to get worried."

Those words drove all remaining thoughts of work out of his mind. He snapped his glass down on the counter, closed the refrigerator door with a loud bang, and threw the half-eaten apple in the trash, his appetite gone. No one needed to tell him about Trixie's penchant for finding trouble or the effect it had on those around her. He'd lived through so many harrowing times he'd lost count. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes," he declared, his voice carefully schooled and devoid of any emotion.

Honey perched on the recliner, her gaze fixed on the door. The fifteen minutes dragged on endlessly, feeling more like eternity than a mere quarter of an hour. When the sound of rapid footsteps came to the outside of the door, she bit her lip in anticipation. Drawing in a sharp breath, she watched, hoping that her friend would be the one to come through it. She sighed in disappointment when she heard the quick knock and then opened it to let her brother in.

The taxi ride over had seemed like an eon to him. "So what's going on?" he questioned, his emerald green eyes searing into hers, all business-like. The only way to handle it was to keep his emotions locked away from sight.

"I get in right before eight. She was here a while ago. The kitchen table is covered with her laptop and her books." Tense fingers gestured towards the kitchen. "And she has a message on her board."

Much to his chagrin, he had a lot of practice at retracing Trixie's footsteps. He immediately read the hastily scrawled note in blue marker. In typical Trixie fashion, the handwriting was barely legible and would have brought a small smile to his lips if he wasn't so troubled. "Who's Sarah?" was his next question.

"I don't know. She had a class with a Sarah last year but I can't quite place her." She rolled a shoulder, frustrated at her inability to place the name.

"Maybe her computer will give us an answer. You say it's in the kitchen?" He led the way into the kitchen, not surprised that her things were in a disordered mess across the normally pristine kitchen table. A textbook balanced precariously on the edge of the table. He slid the book back into a safer place and then called up her email. The only unopened email was from an account named scb05439. He instantly recognized it as a student account from the college. "Thanks for your help, Trixie! I appreciate it!" Jim read it aloud.

"SCB. That's must be Sarah's initials. SCB..."She tapped a finger against her chin and attempted to puzzle it out. It took only a moment for her memory to kick in. "Sarah... Sarah... Sarah Blair!" Honey called out triumphantly. "That's who it is. Trixie must have returned her thumb drive, although why she had it is beyond me."

"She sent the thank you message at 6:05," he noted with a growing unease that he desperately tried hard to mask. He wanted to remain as calm as possible for his sister's sake. "That was over three hours ago. She should have had plenty of time to get home by now."

It wasn't hard to figure out what to do next. She reached for her purse and moved towards the hall. "Maybe we should get over to the hotel and talk to Sarah ourselves," she said over her shoulder.

"Sounds good." He tried to ignore the worry that was beginning to nibble away at the edges of his mind and followed her out of the quiet apartment. "Let's go, Sis."

The taxi ride was short and sweet until they tried to get closer to the hotel. Then it was bumper to bumper, unusual for the time of night. Frustrated, Honey leaned towards Jim and declared, "Let's get out here. We can walk the next two blocks. It'll be quicker than trying to wait out this traffic."

After paying the driver, they walked towards the hotel, Honey's smaller stride working overtime to keep up with Jim's long legs. When they neared the hotel, Honey's heart settled in her throat with a painful lurch at the sight before them. Flashing red lights of the police cars and the two ambulances lit up the night like a Christmas tree. "Oh my," she breathed out and held on to Jim's hand tautly.

His face a stoic mask, unable to give in to any other thoughts than positive ones, he pulled his sister along until they joined the growing crowd watching the scene. Intense eyes scoured the scene, noting the way the police officers had the scene taped off. He scowled at the way the reporters and paparazzi littered the street, pushing in as close as they could to get the best picture or the biggest scoop of the crime scene.

"Can you believe it? A real-live murder here in our neck of the woods?" an excited young girl said to her friend standing next to her. "I can't remember there ever being anything this exciting in our neighborhood before. Isn't it truly awful?" The odd gleam in her eyes contradicted her statement.

Honey's face paled even further as she eavesdropped on the conversation. She swayed a little closer to Jim, whose arm instinctively went around her to hold her up.

Finally, a reporter's tenaciousness was rewarded. He spotted the body as it was being zipped up in the body bag and then lifted off the ground. Unable to keep the news to himself, he shouted, his voice a mixture of excitement and shock, "It's Senator McKelvin! It's Senator McKelvin!"

Jim actually sagged with relief when he heard the reporter. He felt the tautness leave Honey and together they moved a little closer to the scene. "Now we know who it is," he whispered to her.

"Thank goodness," she whispered back. A familiar black ponytail caught her eye, a few feet away. "Oh, over there, Jim! I believe that's Sarah!" She tugged his arm and wound her way through the crowd, stopping when they got in front of Sarah.

The nametag on her uniform told Honey she was right. "Sarah!" she yelled above the murmuring crowd. "Sarah!" she yelled again when the woman started to leave.

Startled, Sarah turned around with a look of surprise on her face. When she saw Honey and an unknown man bearing down on her, she stopped and cautiously asked, ready to disappear into the crowd if need be, "Yes? And you are?"

"Honey. Honey Wheeler," she said breathlessly and pointed to her brother. "And this is my brother, Jim. We're friends of Trixie Belden's."

The wariness left her body, as well as the urge to flee. "Yes, I remember. Trixie has talked about you before. She's such a nice person. I wish there were more people like her in this world."

Honey smiled warmly at her. "We feel the same way to. By any chance, have you happened to see Trixie today? We were supposed to meet her earlier and, well, we simply haven't met up with her yet."

"Yeah, Trixie came by earlier, before all this mess started," Sarah said to Honey. "I was so grateful to her. She brought me back my thumb drive. I forgot it at the computer lab earlier in the day. I gave her my computer to use since all of the others were being used," she explained needlessly.

Jim spoke for the first time, calmly and casually. "Do you remember what time she left?"

"Oh, yes," she affirmed. "I had just started my shift. It would have been around five-thirty, maybe five-forty-five." She gestured towards the bustling scene in front of them. "She would have gotten out well ahead of this, though, which is a good thing. The police didn't find the body until half an hour ago and have kept things hushed up since. Now we know why the Senator never made it to his party!"

Sarah's explanation made Honey feel better. Releasing another smile at Sarah, she said, "Thank you very much, Sarah. We appreciate your time." With a nod, the two siblings headed back the way they had come.

"Let's get back to your apartment," Jim said grimly, holding tight to Honey's arm as they carefully rewound their way through the crowd. "Maybe she's made it home by now." He didn't want to puncture Honey's aura of relief. He had calculated the time in his mind. If she had left the hotel at six, then she was nearly four hours late getting home.

Honey firmly believed they'd find Trixie at home. She kept up a steady stream of conversation on the ride back that was not returned by her brother. Instead, Jim looked at the window, studying the passing scenery but not really seeing it. His mind was focused on the lovely tornado of bustling activity that was his fiancé.

A small murmur of disappointment fell from her lips when they made it back into the apartment. No Trixie. She dropped her purse on a heart-shaped end table and slowly sank into one of the chairs. Jim paced through the apartment, looking at the smiling pictures of his friends in their wooden frames, and wondered where she could be. When the doorknob jingled. Honey and Jim looked up, twin expressions of expectation and relief mirrored on their faces, only to be let down when a laughing Di and Mart stepped through the door.

Mart saw the look on the faces of their friends first and immediately stopped laughing. Injured by their greeting, cut to the quick, he remarked insolently, "No need to look overjoyed to see us, fellow Bob-Whites. It's not like we're best friends or anything."

Another soft laugh fell from Di's lips until she got a good look at Honey's pale face. She immediately became concerned and rushed to her side. Grasping her arm, she inquired compassionately, "What is going on, Honey? I can tell something is wrong."

"We really don't know what's going on, exactly, or if there even is a problem.." She ran a hand through her soft, honey-colored hair. "Trixie's not home yet. She should have been home hours ago."

Mart blew out an agitated breath. "Some things never change," he muttered darkly, recalling many of the adventures his sister had partaken in over the years. "I think we can all agree on that."

She wrung her hands together and then stated, "She's not involved in a mystery, Mart, or on some kind of a case. I would know if she was." Part of her wondered if Trixie would even want to work a mystery again, now that her priorities were much different than ever before. She glanced at Jim under her lashes and briefly wondered how he would take Trixie's news.

Di blew a piece of her dark hair out of her eyes. When it fell back into place, she tucked it behind her ear. "Well, let's be proactive, guys. Let's think where she could be, then. It's only a little after ten. Maybe she went to the library to study. I know she has a lot of work to do this semester. That's a logical place for her to be."

Her suggestion was met with a sardonic snort. "Trixie, library...yeah, right," Mart retorted sarcastically. "That's right up there with watching a movie with subtitles or playing a game of chess."

"Really, Mart." She sniffed, clearly hurt by her boyfriend's casual dismissal of her idea. "There's no need to get sarcastic. I only want to help."

"And Trixie does much better at studying now than she ever did in high school." Honey was quick to leap to her best friend's defense. "Her grades show it, too. She's done very well in college because she's more interested in the material. You should know better than that, Mart."

He quickly muttered a few choice curses under his breath before apologizing to the two irate ladies in front of him. "Clearly, I'm in the wrong. Di, Honey, please accept my most humble apologies. She very easily could be studying at the library."

Honey's curt shake of her head had Mart ready to strangle her. "No, she can't be there. Her computer, her bookbag, and her books are here, in the kitchen. She wouldn't have gone to the library without them," she explained.

Jim leaned up against the wall, watching the three of them bicker but not really seeing them. Instead, he saw deep blue eyes peeking out from a smiling face, laughing up at him, and short yellow curls bouncing. It bothered him more than he cared to let on, her absence from the apartment. The desire to have her here, with him, so that he could touch her, hold her, and never let her go was tangible and something he wanted, needed, more than the urge to breathe. Something was not right. He could feel it deep within his soul.


	11. Chapter 11

Tempting Fate

(Author's Note: This chapter and the next few will be rated ESJix (Extremely Sad Jim and Trixie). But do not worry...I do promise a happy ending when all is said and done!)

Chapter Eleven

Too restless to sleep, afraid of the images he saw when he closed his eyes, Jim pushed aside the soft cotton covers and stood up from the twin bed. Honey's breathing could be heard coming from the bed across the room. Conscious of his sleeping sister, he stepped gingerly over Trixie's forgotten shoes on his way toward the door and out in the hall. He finally ended up in the living room. Moonlight spilled through the curtains and drew him in. Standing in front of the wide trio of windows, he pushed aside the curtains and looked up into the darkened night sky.

"Can't sleep either?" a voice rough with fatigue and worry asked.

It took him a moment to respond. Trying not to be upset that his solitude was interrupted, he turned and saw Mart stumble into the room, his short blonde hair askew from his recent attempt at slumber. "No," was his simple answer. He turned back to the view, hoping that Mart would take the hint and leave him alone.

Not surprised or insulted by what one could easily construe as a dismissal, Mart moved on silent feet to Jim and looked up at the sky as if it held the answer to the whereabouts of his sister. Searching for something to say, he eventually came up with, "Di finally got to sleep." His voice sounded loud in the overly quiet room. He didn't add that she had cried herself to sleep.

"Honey, too. Although I don't know how restful she's going to feel when she wakes up. She keeps tossing and turning." Jim rested his forehead against the cool glass, determined not to break, and concentrated on the few vehicles moving about on the street below.

Mart hesitated but then dropped a hand on his friend's shoulder. Usually so gifted with his speech, he simply didn't know what to do or to say. This seemed different than the past times when Trixie had involved herself in a mystery. He decided to go with the truth. "I don't know what to do, Jim. This isn't the same. It's not like the other times when Trixie had disappeared."

He really didn't want to go down that road yet. Attempting to forestall any more discussion, he answered shortly and with feeling, "I know."

Mart didn't catch the hint. Lost in his own remembrances, he recalled, "I don't know which time scared me more, when Trixie headed off to meet the jewel thieves alone in that seedy place right here in the City or when her and Honey were kidnapped in St. Louis. I remember being scared but it was a different scared than I feel now."

"We were able to piece it together," Jim finished for him softly. Therein lay the difference and also made this situation seem much more precarious than any other previous event. "We haven't been able to piece anything together for this one."

"We've tried, we really have. I can't think of anything else we should do." Mart tapped a finger to his chin and pondered but came up with nothing. On a sigh, he declared, "It was a good idea of yours to have the girls call the area hospitals and shelters earlier. I wouldn't have thought of that."

The women had called the places, as well as many of Trixie's friends and acquaintances from school, while the men had searched the areas closest to the college campus, such as the different computer labs, the student gym, and even the library. There had been no sign of Trixie. No one had seen her or talked to her. Jim took a deep, ragged breath and admitted, "Part of me wishes that she was at one of them. Then we would at least know where she is."

He understood what his friend meant. His handsome face showed lines of deep worry and he solemnly brought up another place Jim had visited. "I didn't have a chance to ask you before. We'd agreed not to mention it in front of Honey or Di so as not to worry them anymore than they already are." Nudging his friend, he inquired seriously, "What did the police say when you stopped in at the station?"

Jim's lips curled into a sneer as he remembered his treatment at the precinct. "They weren't very helpful. The place was so damn busy. It took forever before anyone would talk to me. Then the cop who took my report said that he felt I was filing it a bit too early, that she probably just went off on her own for a bit to 'blow off some steam' as he put it. He claimed that she would show back up in the morning, apologetic and hung over." His laugh was short, ugly and hoarse. "I told him that I knew Trixie. She'd be here if something hadn't happened." He didn't add _to her_ although both heard the unspoken words and implications behind them.

"I still think it's a good thing we decided not to tell the girls, though." Picturing their reaction caused a shiver to shoot up his spine. "I think they'd be freaking out now if they knew we decided to file a missing person's report."

He agreed with a curt nod and continued, "To top it off, the officer told me that they can't do anything until Trixie's been missing for 24 hours, unless we would have some evidence of foul play." Jim shook his head at the folly of it all. "I tried to convince him to start searching for her now but he wouldn't have it. Wouldn't want to go against policy, would we?" The sarcasm fairly oozed out of him.

The sides of his lips pulled down into a sneer. "It's a shame Dan hadn't been pulling desk duty, Jim, or somewhere in the building.. He'd have helped, I know that for sure." Mart thought of his friend and wished that there was someway that they could get in contact with him. Unfortunately, Dan was not allowed to use his cell phone while on duty and Dan took his job very seriously.

"He must have been out patrolling. I didn't see him in the precinct at all." Jim had looked, carefully inspecting each officer that came or went out of the precinct. He knew Dan would have damned protocol and would have started looking for her, without any questions at all or regards to policy or to his own job. Trixie's safety would have come first.

Mart flopped on the sofa with a whoosh and scrubbed a hand over his weary face. Eyes closed, he leaned back, wishing for the peace of sleep. The fatigue was there, skillfully demanding blessed relief in sleep, but he couldn't do it. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his sister. He needed a distraction and he needed it now. With a quick press of the button, the sports channel came on, the sportscaster's voice brightly chirping away about a recent baseball game in direct contrast to the solemn atmosphere in the darkened room. Tapping the cushion next to him, he invited Jim,. "Come and have a seat, Jim. It's going to be a hell of a long night."

Those were Dan's sentiments as he trudged into the precinct at eight the next morning after working 13 hours straight on the job. Already used to the sight and sounds of the precinct, he didn't spare a glance for the men, women and children waiting. The haughty hooker protesting her arrest in very colorful words didn't register. Neither did the angry man who claimed at the top of his lungs that he absolutely, positively, definitely had no idea that he was buying drugs on the street corner. Dan walked right past the twisted soap operas being enacted in the station on his way to the lockers, desperate to get home to the warmth of his bed.

With the buzz of the sludge the precinct called coffee humming through his system and a fresh change of clothes on his long body, he almost felt human. As he came out of the locker room, he watched a fellow officer come in with an evidence box stuffed to the brim and lay it down with a thump on his supervisor's desk. Prepared to complete his last official task of his shift, he moved towards the desk, three detailed reports in his hand, and dropped it in the corporal's mailbox.

"Morning, Rookie," Corporal Snare greeted as he took his spot behind his desk and shifted the evidence box off to the side. His shrewd gaze took in the weary look of the young officer in front of him. "Long night, I see. I also believe that you've got mail for me." He felt lucky to have been assigned Officer Mangan, who he considered to be one of the most promising members of the rookie group to enter their station. There would be a long, brilliant career for the rookie, if he wanted it.

"Yeah," Dan replied back and stretched. "Two burglaries and a report of a car-jacking. Fascinating reading. I'll bet it'll keep you up all night. Luckily I don't have to write out the report on the stake-out I assisted with earlier this morning. That pleasure belongs to Officer Sterne."

He threw an almost wistful glance at the reports in his box. "I won't be getting to your reports today, Rookie." Corporal Snare bit back a small sigh and pointed to the box he'd carried in. "Unfortunately, I have a more pressing matter to deal with. It's something I despise doing."

Mildly interested, Dan arched a dark brow. "What is that, Sir?"

He also noted that Mangan was one of the few new recruits to use respect when talking to a superior. He liked that so he offered an explanation to the younger man, "There was a big subway crash on the East line last evening. I'm glad I didn't have to to it myself. From what I understand it was a hell of a mess. It looks like a few bolts came loose at a very bad time. The last three cars didn't stand a chance after that, jumped the track and smashed into the wall. There's not much left."

He grimaced at the thought. Pointing, he inquired soberly, "What's in the box, Corporal?"

He leaned back in his chair and explained, "Belongings from people on the subway. It's going to be hard to identify a lot of them. After the cars crashed, they burst into flames. I have the belongings that weren't destroyed. I'm going to need to start diving in this morning and then start alerting all of the families that I can. It's not going to fun."

Dan winced and said without thinking, "I don't envy you that job." The whole process sounded daunting. He couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to tell a family that they had lost a loved one. He already knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of it. It was not pleasant.

Corporal Snare gave him a genuine grin before becoming serious again. "That's putting it mildly." He pointed to the door and then gave him a salute. "I order you to leave these premises and not return until this evening. I understand you've been here since last evening. It's past time to get out of here, Rookie. Officer Stephens here is assisting me with my task."

Dan glanced at the box and suppressed a small shudder. He couldn't even begin to imagine the worry the families of the people on the subway were going through, wondering where their loved ones were and why they were not coming home. "I'll see you later." He started towards the door where he was hailed by a fellow officer.

As the rookie chattered on about the exciting night he had, Dan half-listened as patiently as possible, wanting to get out of there and yet not wanting to be rude to his colleague. From behind him, he could hear Officer Stephens and Corporal Snare going over the items in the box. Officer Stephens' voice quietly read the names on the different items while the Corporal jotted them down.

Dan literally felt the room shift when he heard the low murmur of a very familiar name. Thoughts of exhaustion fled as he hurried back to the desk, leaving the young officer looking at his back in shock and pondering at his rudeness. His dark brows stood out against his stark white face. "What did you say?" he interrupted, his voice hoarse, his hands in tight fists at his side.

Corporal Snare glanced up from his work, annoyed and ready to give him a stern lecture on proper police etiquette, when he caught a good look at Dan's face. He immediately scanned the names he had scrawled down and repeated without questioning his sudden interest, "Richard W. Brown, Carley A. Miller, Beatrix H. Belden, Jonathon G. Russler..."

The effort to keep from shaking was considerable. He jabbed his finger at Trixie's name. "Her. What about her?" Hoping against hope that there were more than one Beatrix H. Belden in this world, he held his breath and waited. It seemed like time stood still. Then he felt his hope crumble when Officer Stephens pulled out a halfburnt purse that he knew was Trixie's. Wordlessly, she handed it to him. He opened up the wallet inside and saw her familiar smiling face beaming back at him from her driver's license. The burst of energy drained from him, making his shoulders sag and his eyes close.

The Corporal didn't need to know it but he asked anyway. "I take it you know her?" His face was drawn into lines of sympathy for the young officer. He could tell that she must have meant a lot to him.

"Yes." Dan closed his eyes to block it out but failed miserably. He clutched the purse tightly in his hands and turned to go when a sparkle of gold caught his eyes. He pulled her gold chain out of the other items on the desk and held it reverently to his chest. "This is hers."

Corporal Snare didn't need another type of verification and used the officer's given name for the first time. "Take it with you, Dan. Will you take care of notifying the family?"

His dark eyes glittered with unshed tears. "I am family," he mumbled under his breath. He walked towards the door on leaden feet, the purse in one hand and the chain in the other, and wondered how on earth he was going to break the news to the others. With a Herculean effort, he heaved open the station door and stepped out into the bustling New York City sidewalk.

The gorgeous sunshine threading its way through the trees overhead didn't register. The hum of traffic, the occasional blowing of a horn or a yell for a taxi, weren't noticed. His feet moved slowly. His heart was heavy, the pressure weighing him down. It normally took fifteen minutes to get to his apartment building. It took much longer today. He did notice that after looking at him uneasily, the people walking near him on the sidewalk gave him a wide berth. Dan figured he must look like a man half-possessed. He couldn't believe what had happened, what he was being called on to do. It simply didn't feel real.

The door to their apartment was half-open. Voices could be heard out in the hallway. The first thing he noted when he stood in the doorway was that it was full to the brim. Every Bob-White but one was in attendance. Even Brian was there, holding a tearful Honey, who seemed to be in the middle of a long, upsetting story. Dan could tell from the second that he arrived that this was not a typical morning for the group. They realized that something was amiss.

Jim was the first to notice Dan in the doorway. From across the room, their eyes met and held, emerald to onyx. And he knew, without a doubt in his mind. Dear God in Heaven_, he knew_. It felt like an arrow had pierced him, the pain was that sharp and painful. He reeled back, his turbulent green eyes swirling with grief and pain the only color on his white face, and observed the scene with absolute horror.

"Oh, Dan!" Honey greeted him, her usually smiling face set in lines of worry. Leaving the comfort of Brian's arms, she hurried over to him and pulled him into the room, closing the door behind him with a resounding click. She stupidly took the purse from him, not noticing the state that it was in, and put it on the coffee table. She ushered him into the room and proceeded to ramble on without looking at him,. "You must have checked our messages. Thank goodness you're here! As you know by now, we need your expertise in this matter."

"Yes," Mart chimed in from his seat on the sofa, an arm around Di. "We really need to find Trixie. She hasn't been home since yesterday."

Brian pushed his hands deeper into the pockets of his pants. "I got here as soon as I could. I had no idea what was going on until a few minutes ago." The guilt ate at him. He wished he had been able to help search the evening before. Maybe he could have found something that the others had overlooked.

Di's gaze sharpened in on the purse Honey had placed on the coffee table, the only one in the group to really see it and the state it was in. Frowning, she leaned forward, lifted it up and carefully inspected it. It was dark brown in color, made of leather, expensive, and part of it was charred, as if it was in a fire. She wiped off the soot from her fingers and puzzled it out. It seemed oddly familiar to her. "Hmm," she hummed lowly, "this looks like the one that I gave..." Her mouth went slack as she recalled who she had given the purse to. A lone tear rolled slowly down her lovely face.

"Diana?" Brian said her name sharply, looking at her with concern. He had watched the way she had handled the purse and had seen the color leave her face.

She looked up, her lavender eyes lost and sad and filled to the brim with tears, and held the purse protectively to her chest. The soot stained her ivory silk shirt but she didn't notice. "Dan!" she yelled out, almost accusingly, her voice unnaturally high and shrill. "It's Trixie's. The purse. It's Trixie's. I know it is."

Silence, absolute silence. Breaths were held, silent prayers and bargains were made, and hope was held onto tightly before it was forever lost. Four pairs of eyes pierced him, sliced into him, and wanted a denial. Another pair of eyes looked away, caught in his own hell. Dan hated to do it, would gladly have cut off his hand or made a deal with the devil to bring her back, but he had to do it. Quickly, resolutely, and as painlessly as possible, he gave a curt nod. "She was in the subway crash last night," he announced simply. He couldn't bring himself to say the other words.

"No, no, no!" Honey drew back, her desperation for denial painful to witness, and stamped her foot. She thought back to the lively young woman who was her best friend and shook her head. "That's not possible. Really, it's not possible. Dan, you have to be mistaken." She whirled on Brian, a tornado of hysterical energy, and demanded piercingly, "Tell him that's not possible, Brian. You've got to tell him that it's not true, that there was a mistake."

"Oh, Honey," Brian choked out, his face a mask of sorrow. He reached for her but she moved away.

"Dammit, don't do that! Don't 'Oh, Honey' me!" She couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it, and turned on Dan next, an irate woman bent on a recantation. "It can't be true, Dan. She was here, just yesterday. It can't be true. I won't allow it to be." When he didn't respond, she tried cajoling next. Her eyes pleaded softly with him. "Please tell us, Dan, that there's been some horrible misunderstanding, that this really didn't happen. It's got to be a mistake. It just can't be true."

Dan rubbed his forehead. He despised being the one who had to do this. Solemnly, he opened his hand and placed the gold chain into Honey's. He waited until he could look her in the eyes. "I'm so sorry, Honey. I can't tell you anything different. I wish I could, believe me I do, but I can't. It is true."

She stared at the chain in horrid fascination and the locket that hung from it. Trixie hadn't stopped wearing the locket since the summer they visited Virginia. With trembling fingers she opened the locket and released a small gasp. Jim's handsome face smiled back at her. Her eyes squeezed shut and tears slowly trickled out. "I...oh, God,...I." Incoherent, her knees buckled. She would have fallen if she hadn't been swallowed up in Brian's strong embrace.

The scene had frozen her. With it finished, Di dove into Mart's arms, her sobs loud and unstoppable. Stunned, he held onto her, unable to comprehend what his friend had shared with them. What little color was left in his face drained as the news sunk in and was absorbed into his heart. He dropped his head on top of Di's, his own tears silently mixing with hers.

Staggering into the background, needing to get away from the others before they turned to him, Jim faded silently from the room until he could reach the safety of Trixie's room and the solitude it promised. There he simply sat on her bed. He grabbed the framed picture she kept of the two of them on her nightstand and gently traced her face with his fingers. Feeling as if a huge weight had descended on his shoulders, he dropped his head in his hands, hoping to shut out the awful reality but failing miserably. The absolute truth ravaged his heart and tore his soul into tiny, ragged pieces.


	12. Chapter 12

Tempting Fate

(Still rated ESJix)

Also, I have forgotten to disclaim. Please be aware that I do not own any of the characters in this fic and that I am not making any money off of it!

Chapter Twelve

It had been a long, arduous two days of traveling. Her body was sore from the effort to keep her emotions intact. She had schooled her features into an unemotional mask that repelled anyone from making gestures of friendliness to her. She followed the complicated directions that Peters had given her perfectly, hopping from bus to train and back again, all in an attempt to throw off anyone should they have attempted to follow her. And all she had to keep her company were her thoughts. They were not pretty ones.

She looked out the window with unseeing eyes, missing the beautiful farmland that passed by with the gentle chug of the train. She was lost in memories, painful now but no less treasured or valued. They meant the world to her. She saw the faces of her many loved ones and could have sworn that she could hear their voices. Her parents' faces floated by first, full of love and warmth for their only daughter. Then she thought of her three brothers. Sensible, serious Brian. Fun-loving, teasing Mart. Teenage Bobby, who was still just as troublesome at fourteen as he had been at six.

Then she thought of her two best girlfriends, Honey and Di. They were both so special to her, like the sisters of her heart. It wouldn't be too long before they would become Beldens by marriage. There wasn't a doubt in her mind about that. She leaned her forehead against the glass and closed her eyes tightly, knowing that she would invariably miss the momentous and joyful occasions.

She thought of Dan and the hard road that he had traveled before turning into the man that he had made himself into, despite the nearly insurmountable odds stacked against him. He was another of her best friends and she couldn't imagine her life without him, without any of them in it.

Thoughts of the redheaded man who had stolen her heart at the age of thirteen were resolutely pushed away. She bit her lip, hoping that the physical pain would override the emotional one. It didn't but it allowed her to regain control and clamp down on her thoughts. And she needed the control. Her trip on the most recent train was nearing its end. She had enough pride left not to want the others on the train to witness a hysterical breakdown. She would save that for somewhere private.

When the train rolled to a stop at the New Haven stop, she stood up, her one and only bag in her hand. Glancing at her formal written directions Peters had gifted with her before she had left the City, she saw that she was to go to the customer service area and request information for one Mrs. Katie Winthrop. On legs weary from traveling, she joined the line of departing people and slowly wound her way to the desk.

Waiting in the long line didn't bother her. She stood patiently, more patiently than the others around her. Time didn't have much meaning to her anymore. She used the time to rehearse what she needed to say in order not to mess it up. She couldn't' begin to imagine when it would be easy for her to carry on the masquerade she was forced to play.

"Can I help you, Miss?" the teller asked dispassionately, hardly sparing the young lady in front of her a glance.

Trixie called up a small smile that she hoped wouldn't frighten her. It pained her lips to do so. She recalled the information and said as comfortably as she could, "My name is Katie Winthrop. I believe my father left something for me here."

The teller thought for a moment and then nodded her head sagely. "Yes, yes, I remember that now. He was here a few hours ago." She reached under the counter and handed her a small manilla envelope. "Here it is, Mrs. Winthrop."

Trixie accepted it and moved to the waiting area. She slowly sat down on one of the uncomfortable hard plastic seats and turned the envelope over, wondering what could be inside. She hoped it wasn't another train or bus ticket. Enough was enough. She simply couldn't travel anymore.

"Just do it," she ordered herself and slid open the envelope. There was no note inside, just a set of car keys. A small thread of curiosity wound through her. She inspected the keys with the utmost of importance.. There were two sets of keys, marked with the Saturn insignia. "It looks like this station must be the end of the line for me, thank goodness for that." Grateful to be at the end, she stood up and walked out to the parking lot.

Many vehicles dotted the parking lot. She studied it carefully, trying to figure out which car was meant to be hers. People passed by her, chirping away on cell phones or drinking their hot beverages, but no one paid her any attention. "To hell with it," she grumbled. She pushed the panic button, startling the people around her, and followed the direction of the loud, irritating beeping. It brought her to a new Saturn Vue, a brilliant silver in color. Contemplating the car as if it could bite her, she hesitated before finally getting into it. The new car smell assailed her as she sat in the front seat. She ran her hands over the steering wheel, appreciating the feel of it, and prepared to star the car.

A second manila envelope laying on the passenger seat next to her stopped her. Brows furrowing in concentration, reached across the seat and picked it up. She saw that it contained directions to a small town in Litchfield County. "I guess this is where I'm meant to go next."

The monotonous task of driving on the interstate was a relief to her. It kept her mind occupied and off of the events of the past few days. She stayed in the far right line, content to follow along at a much slower clip than the other cars zipping by, and drove without the comfort of the radio to assist her. Silence seemed to be the best company. When the interstate gave way to quiet country roads, a pang of homesickness hit her. The roads reminded her of the tranquility of Glen Road, the sheer peacefulness of living out in the country, away from the hustle of the city. She brushed away a stray tear and concentrated harder on the road. "Not yet, not yet," she ordered herself.

The directions brought her into a small town named Lincoln. Driving through it took hardly any time at all. She was surprised that the town didn't even have a red light in it. If she had blinked she may have missed the center of town. The charm of the typical New England town was lost on her, too wrapped-up in her own thoughts. After driving past the center and up a small hill, she found her turn-off and followed it exactly for the 2.3 miles required of her on the directions.

It led her to an appealing two-story Colonial house, painted bright white with dark green shutters, and standing proudly on half an acre of land. A white picket fence closed off the front yard. Shrubs and bright-colored flowers decorated the green yard. A large oak tree stood in the center of the front yard, offering a canopy of shade to ward off the heat of the late summer day. It didn't bring her any pleasure at all. Wondering what she would find within, she parked the car in the driveway and followed the cobbled stones to the front door, tired blue eyes blind to the beauty around her.

No one answered the ringing of the doorbell. She tried knocking but that brought the same results. Blowing out a breath, she wondered what she should do next and then contemplated the ground. Surprised, another envelope poked out at her from the welcome mat. She knelt down and picked it up. A set of house keys had been placed within.

Her hands shook as the key fit easily in the lock. She stepped through the door and into the fully furnished home. She shut the door with a resounding snap and looked around her dispassionately. The large living room was decked out in tones of dark blues and browns. The brown leather sofa looked comfortable, inviting anyone to come and rest upon it. There were two matching chairs proudly displayed around the wide-screen television set positioned upon an entertainment center. A stone fireplace was the masterpiece of the room, calling for the most attention. Twin pewter vases sat on the wood mantel, fresh roses peering out from the center.

She could have cared less. Ignoring the splendor of the room, she wandered into the kitchen. There was yet another manila envelope with Katie Winthrop emblazoned across it. "I feel like this is some godforsaken treasure hunt," she muttered grimly as she dropped the car keys and house keys on the table and picked up the envelope. It was longer and much heavier than the previous ones. "It makes me wonder why there has to be so much subterfuge."

She unceremoniously dumped the contents of the envelope onto the kitchen counter. An entire paperwork of a false life stared back at her. "Oh my," she hitched out on a sharp breath as it finally became clear to her how far she had fallen from where she wanted to be. Trembling fingers picked up her new Connecticut driver's license and studied the name on it carefully. "Katie H. Winthrop," she breathed out, looking at the smiling picture of herself in the corner. She dropped it like it was a hot coal.

Hating to see what else the envelope contained, she nevertheless forged on. A birth certificate was next, showing her maiden name as "Martin." "At least I get to be the same age," she noted glumly and put the birth certificate aside. She ignored her new social security card and released a laugh without any humor at the high school diploma from a high school in Massachusetts staring back at her. There was even a college transcript to the University of Connecticut with the same amount of credits she had earned in New York

"This is unbelievable. You've got to hand it to the man. He's nothing if not thorough." Shaking her head, she continued through her search. New health insurance and prescription cards, dental and health records, home owner's insurance and car insurance policies, the marriage license to her "deceased" husband, one Jay William Winthrop, and W2's for the past two years. There was even a small gold ring, obviously hers to wear as she took on her roll as "Mrs. Katie Winthrop," widow and expectant mother.

There was a deed to the house, as well as the title to the new Saturn in the driveway, all proclaiming to belong to one Katie H. Winthrop, and all paid in full. There was even a cashier's cheek, waiting for her to deposit in a bank at her earliest convenience. The amount on the check startled her but didn't bring forth any joy or caring. Instead, it reminded her how much her life had been altered.. "I guess the government pays you well if you lose your life," she whispered sarcastically and pushed the check aside.

The shrill ring of the phone surprised the hell out of her. It took her a moment to answer it. "Hello?" she whispered hoarsely into the receiver, almost scared to hear who would be on the other end.

"Mrs. Winthrop," Peters replied back, intentionally using her new name. "I am relieved that you have made it home. Congratulations on completing your journey."

Home. That one word brought a spear of renewed pain through her. She resolutely pushed aside the heated denial that rose to her lips. As nice as this house was, it would never be home. "Yes," she stuttered back, shivering at the loss of all that was hers. "The directions were very clear."

"Good." He had hoped she wouldn't stray from the course he had created for her. He normally didn't allow himself to feel for his clients. Somehow, this one had slipped through the cracks and he legitimately cared about what happened to her. "Now, you need to know that this line is a very secure one. No one can listen in to our conversation so please feel free to express yourself. Have you had a chance to look through your personal papers?"

Her lips curled up. She despised having to call the scattered paperwork across the counter her new life. She hated it with a passion that nearly strangled her. "Yes," she answered again.

"Excellent. I do not think there's anything that I have forgotten. If there is, I will make sure to get it to you. You should also know that Cord Dolin has been arrested and will be tried for the murder of Senator McKelvin. To my knowledge, we were able to successfully hide your identity." He added the last proudly and wished that he could allow her to resume her real life. She was a complete innocent whose life had been ripped apart by an unpredictable and unavoidable act of violence.

"Okay." She seemed to be incapable of putting together a complicated sentence.

He easily understood the turbulence within her and used this time to wisely caution her. "I need to remind you of the potential consequences should you try to contact your friends or families."

She shut her weary eyes and damned the man on the other end, even though it wasn't his fault she was in such an untenable circumstance. "Of course," she bit out, her anger coming through in her tone.

"Don't do it, Mrs. Winthrop." He made sure to use her new name in order to help her remember the game she must now play.. "In a month or two, when you start feeling safe, you're going to want to do it. Christmas morning will seem like a great time to call your mom. You'll want to wish your best friend a happy birthday. When you hold your baby for the first time, you are going to want to share it with the father. Don't do it, Katie. It's not just your life that could be at stake. It's also theirs."

She sagged against the wall, the words tearing at her heart and making her ache with longing for something she could never have. "I get it. I won't try to get in touch with them." She made the promise hoarsely and hurt even more.

"Good," he said again, despising himself for putting her through more pain. "This is the last time that I will contact you, unless there is a change in status on your case. You should feel free to start your new life the best that you see fit. I'd recommend that you maintain a low profile. No pictures in the paper, no interviews on the local television channel, no posting on Facebook or a similar vehicle. Keep to yourself, Katie. Don't take any chances."

Her hand rested on top of her stomach. She thought about the new little life within and promised lowly, "I won't, Agent Peters." She would do it for the baby, for Jim's baby.

"It's not Agent," he replied back, not sure why he wanted to correct her. "I'm not with the Witness Protection Program, Katie."

Mild surprise came but then floated away like wispy clouds on a lazy summer day. She simply didn't care who he worked for. Her famed curiosity seemed to be a thing of the past, smothered by the tragic events of the past few days. "All right," she responded quietly.

"I wish you the best of luck, Katie," he told her and she believed him. "Take care and farewell."

She stood in the kitchen for a full five minutes, the phone still held within her hands, and the conversation playing through her mind. It felt like she was really on her own, with no more directions to follow or train schedules to study. There was no relief in it. Heart heavy, she trudged up the stairs on slow feet. She peeked into the first room she saw. It was set up as a home office, complete with a top-of-the line computer and printer. She moved on quickly, not appreciating the care that had gone into the selection or set-up. The next room was the master bedroom. It was decorated as beautifully as the rooms downstairs. In pale pink and cream, it looked like it could have graced the cover of a magazine. The white four poster bed looked comfortable, the pale pink comforter and mounds of matching pillows inviting, but not to her. She didn't even spare a glance to the closet filled with clothes or the matching dressers.

Heaving a loud sigh, she turned to the door across the way and received the biggest shock yet. She felt a small thread of gratitude towards the enigmatic Peters and finally found a little bit of pleasure in her new home. Here was a complete nursery, all ready for a cherished arrival. Pictures of happy zoo animals marched joyfully across the room. A thick beige carpet warmed the floor. The sunlight pouring through the window danced off the glossy finish of the furniture in the room. The crib, dressers, and changing table were a match in cherry. There were even a few packs of newborn diapers and wipes underneath the changing table. A matching glider sat in the corner and drew her towards it. She accepted the invitation and slowly sank onto its comfy cushions.

Gliding gently, letting the slight motion soothe her troubled heart, she finally gave her mind the freedom to wander. And wander it did. She closed her eyes, reveling in the sweetness of her fantasy, and for one brief moment let herself believe that it could happen. In her mind she felt strong arms wrapping around her body, holding her close and treasuring her like she was the most important thing in the world. A husky voice whispered in her ear the depths of his love for her. Then the sound of a sweet baby, their precious baby, cried softly in the crib, demanding attention from the loving parents, who saw to the needs of their child with loving grace.

And then she broke. Finally, totally, with no chance of turning back. It was like a dam had broken. Huddling into a small ball of pure pain, she let the loud sobs come, racking her body and showing the extent of her heartbreak and anguish, as she cried for all that had been lost and for what could never be. Her sapphire blue eyes swam with tears, so many that it would be impossible to count, and her face fell into lines of anguish and defeat. When the tears were spent and she couldn't physically cry anymore, she hugged herself tightly and damned the fate that had let this happen.


	13. Chapter 13

Tempting Fate

Still ES Jix

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirteen

It was a beautiful blue late summer day, gorgeous in the extreme, and a promise of all that was good and pure in the world. Crystal blue skies stretched on as far as the eye could see. Wispy white clouds meandered peacefully throughout the sky. The sun shone brilliantly, illuminating everything with its overwhelming brightness. The recent heat wave had even ended. A soft, gentle breeze blew through the air. The day fairly sparkled and should have promised an endless fountain of fun and activities. Birds dared to chirp. Butterflies continued to dip and sway in their search for food. One would hardly think that a sorrowful event like a funeral would be taking place on such a picture-perfect day.

The pastor stood near the closed and empty coffin, his solemn voice carrying over the gathered mourners. The coffin was symbolic as a body had never been able to be recovered from the crash. Most of Sleepyside had attended the event, seated on the dark green folding chairs underneath the wide striped tent, listening to the pastor as he began the age-old process of laying a beloved friend, relative and daughter to her final resting place. All in attendance showed varying degrees of shock mixed with grief on their faces as they took part in the final departure of Beatrix Belden.

A row of six sat off to the one side in the front. Each member of the solemn group wore blue, their loved one's favorite color. It had been Di's idea, a way to show solidarity in their support for each other and to assure Trixie that they treasured her and always would. They also each held a single white rose, a flower they would gift the coffin for remembrance. Many pairs of concerned eyes watched the group, wondering how the six were dealing with the death of their close and cherished friend. Many noted the way the Di held onto Mart's arm as if her life depended on it and the dark circles under his eyes. They saw the way Honey and Brian leaned into each other, searching for comfort and support through this trying time. People noticed that Dan's handsome face was set in gloomy lines and was abnormally pale under his summer tan. It was obvious to one and all that they were in the various stages of grieving. But no one could get a good interpretation on the last member on the group.

Jim sat impassively on an uncomfortable folding chair at the end of the front row before the pastor, his emerald eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. He was aware of the people around him but didn't attempt to acknowledge them. Honey sat next to him and quietly sobbed into a tissue. He knew that Brian was next to her, putting aside his own pain in order to provide comfort to her. His fingers played with the dethorned stem of his rose, the words from the pastor pouring over him and through him. Not a single word made any sense to him, much like his life at this moment.

He absolutely refused to look at the coffin and damned it for even being there. Instead, he focused his gaze straight ahead, his lips turned down at the corners. He doubted he'd ever smile again, let alone laugh. He had been living in a world of numb shock ever since Dan had brought the news home to the Bob-Whites, unable to share his feelings with a soul or assist anyone else with their pain. The past few days had gone by like a never-ending blur as the six of them had returned home to face the families and the necessary preparations. Once that had been taken care of, his family and friends had seen him as their next project and had tried to console him. He had rebuffed every attempt, choosing to dwell within his own private hell on his own, and had taken up residence at his house on Ten Acres. He wasn't ready to talk, couldn't even contemplate sharing, and certainly preferred to be on his own.

He closed his eyes in resignation, hoping to block out the reality of the scene in front of him, and was instantly sorry that he had done so. Images of the past floated through his mind, haunting and taunting him with their twin sides of piercing sweetness and unavoidable sorrow. He saw thirteen-year old Trixie in Ten Acres, her unruly curls framing her expressive face and her insatiable curiosity shining through her blue eyes as she demanded to know just why he was hiding out there. How was he to know that the tomboy would become his salvation, the very reason why he wanted to live and thrive and make all their dreams come true? He saw her smiling up at him after she and Honey had found him again during that long-ago summer after he had disappeared, her face sparkling with excitement. He could almost feel her in his arms as he remembered square-dancing with her at the real Uncle Monty's ranch in Arizona or dancing with her at Di's Valentine's Day dance.

More recent memories tugged at him and slowly ate away at his sanity. He drew in a sharp breath that startled Honey as he remembered the way they had celebrated her twenty-first birthday. She who despised dresses had worn a lovely blue dress just for him. It had floated when she walked and made him think of her as a princess in an ivory tower instead of the resolute warrior he knew her to be. She had even taken the time to have her hair and make-up done, having Honey and Di do all those secret girl things to it. Together they had gone out to dinner at a nearby restaurant. Later, he had brought her up to Ten Acres for a very special reason. He had shown her the plans for the house and how it was scheduled to be built the following week. Then he recalled how his hands had started sweating and how his words had ran together as he nervously asked her to marry him on the very spot where they had met. The words weren't even out of his mouth before she had thrown herself into his arms, her tinkling laugh and shouted 'yes' making him feel like the luckiest man to ever walk the earth.

Memory after memory, recent and old, continued to assault him like a greedy dog devouring a bone, proving to him without a doubt that he would never be able to run from them, hide from them or forget them. They were there, as much a part of him as the air that he breathed or the red blood humming through his veins. An impossible task sat in front of him. Someway, somehow, he would have to learn to live without the woman who had inspired his dreams, caused so many feelings within him, and who had shown him how real and true love could be.

He laid his head on the back of the chair, looked up at the heavens who had so happily gifted them with a gorgeous day for the funeral and yet who had also torn his world apart, and pulled his lips back into a sneer of anger and despair. How on earth could this possibly have happened? He wanted to rage, to swear, and demand a retraction of this horrific event. There didn't seem to be any kind of an answer that would make sense to him. He didn't know what kind of an unlucky star he had been born under but he honestly didn't feel like he could take anymore. From the loss of his father to the loss of his mother and now to the loss of his soulmate. Every word, every thought, lead back to his wonderful, unpredictable, irreplaceable Trixie. He belonged to her, just as she belonged to him, and it made no sense to him that she was no longer with him, that they were forever separated.

He attributed responsibility for the loss of his fiancée to his advisor at the university, blaming the inept man for his inability to meet with her that fateful night. If he hadn't had to cancel their date to work on that thrice-damned proposal for his dissertation, then he figured none of this would have happened. And that man had been no help at all, nearly driving him insane with his inability to actually schedule and then hold a meeting with him. Jim doubted if the advisor would ever speak to him or a member of his family. He had let the man have it with both barrels, letting him feel the full force of his temper; which was never a pretty sight. Needless to say, he had withdrawn from the graduate program and had no plans in sight to ever return to Columbia or to continue his plans for the school. The road before him was long, wide and as barren as a snow-covered field in the harshest of winters.

Honey eyed her brother from under lashes thick with tears, confused by his behavior, and worried for him. She felt the pain. She experienced the hopelessness. She understood the despair. What she couldn't deal with was the way he was trying to close himself off from her, their family, and the rest of the Bob-Whites. She hesitated, not sure how he would respond, but then laid her hand on top of his and squeezed it. She hoped that he would acknowledge her support but then hid a groan of disappointment.

Of course, he didn't respond. So lost in his thoughts and memories he didn't even feel the slight pressure of her small hand. Instead, he thought about the days and nights to come, an endless nightmarish stream that he could not escape from, and wished for a way out of this mess. There wasn't a canto in Dante's famed Inferno that could hold a candle to the pain that had entered his life.

The last of the pastor's words fell on the solemn crowd. The crowd respectfully bowed their heads before they began to leave, many weeping and distraught from the service. Most stopped to pay their respects to a grieving Helen and Peter, who each looked like they had aged overnight under the stress and shock of losing their only daughter, with matching lines of worry and sorrow on their respective faces. While the crowd was preparing to leave, the solemn six stood up as one and walked over to the gleaming coffin, prepared for their own private ceremony.

They looked at each other and gathered the courage for their final goodbye. One by one, they each placed their beautiful white rose on top, and whispered soft words of farewell. Tears fell from eyes, hands shook, and hugs were offered and accepted. Only Jim refused the comfort. He stood slightly apart from the others and waited his turn, a lone figure in a dark blue suit. After Mart turned away from the coffin, he moved forward without noticing him. Carefully, almost reverently, he placed his rose on the coffin, the last of the flowers to join the others. He ran his hands along the top of the coffin. The smooth, polished wood felt like rough and shattered glass under his fingers. When the others readied to leave the cemetery, he stayed behind, his hand still on the coffin, and his face intentionally shuttered..

It took a moment for it to register that they were one short. Honey started back towards her brother only to be halted by her boyfriend. She nearly tripped and had to right herself. She pushed aside a piece of her hair that the gentle wind blew about, a question in her red-rimmed eyes. "Brian?"

"Let's leave him alone," Brian murmured to her quietly. He had seen how his friend had closed himself off from the rest of them. Although it wasn't what he wanted to do, he knew that they needed to respect Jim's decision for solitude and to allow him to grieve in the only way he knew how.

She worried her bottom lip nervously and thought about it. "I don't know if that's such a good idea," Honey finally responded. She wrapped her arms around her body in a desperate attempt to warm herself. A beautiful eighty-five degree day and she was chilled to the bone. The news of her friend's death had been as huge a blow to her as it had been to the others. She had responded by finding solace in the people around her.

"He wants his quiet. I think he has adequately shown us that he needs it," Brian explained carefully. He took her arm and led her up the aisle to the others who were waiting for them, feeling her reluctance to leave her brother alone. "We need to give it to him, Honey. We owe it to him as his friend and as a fellow Bob-White. Maybe he'll be able to find some peace on his own. He'll come to us when he's ready."

She threw her brother a concerned glance over her shoulder and let Brian lead her away. He was standing with his back to them, his loneliness a tattered cloak around him. Her caring, loving heart cried out for her to do something to ease his pain and show him that he was not alone in this whole ordeal. "But he seems so alone, Brian."

"He needs time, just like the rest of us. He will come around, Honey, you know that." They joined the rest of their friends at the entrance to the parking lot and slowly made their ways to their cars, a group of five with heavy hearts. Crabapple Farm was waiting for them to greet the mourners who would come to pay their respect to the family.

On some level Jim recognized that his friends had left, that only the sounds of nature was surrounding him. He pivoted around, his gaze searching the cemetery, and noted with a sense of relief that he was really and truly was finally alone. Not a soul was left. Almost pathetically grateful, he walked around the coffin until he stood in front of the new tombstone that marked her grave.

"Beatrix Hope Belden. Beloved Daughter, Friend, and Bob-White." He read the words softly, his voice husky with unshed emotion, and slowly knelt to the ground. Head bowed, he brought his finger towards the marble. His finger shook as he traced the outlines of the words, his finger feeling the depth of the lines that had been carved into the hard gray marble. The word, 'Bob-White', nearly brought a bittersweet smile to his lips but his lips still refused to cooperate. From somewhere within, he wondered who had decided to add that description, although he knew that Trixie would have been pleased with it. The Bob-Whites meant as much to her as they did to him.

It took him a moment before he was able to read the rest of it. He had to catch himself, to prepare himself, for the awful fact staring mockingly at him in the face. He looked at her the day of her birth first and thought how the month of May was always one of his favorites, with the promise of spring in the air and the renewal of the earth showing itself in magnificent and countless ways. It had also been the month that her birth had graced, reason enough for him to adore it. Then he looked at the dreaded date of her death. It seemed like that date seared into his mind like a hot brand, like something he would never be able to get rid of. "Damn day," he spat out furiously, emotion beginning to swirl within the depths of his emerald eyes. He wanted to punch it but decided against it. It was not the proper way to say goodbye.

It seemed like an eon before he finally stood up from the grave. The sun seemed overly bright as he took off his sunglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a solitaire tear cascade down his face but he ignored it. Crying wasn't something that came easily to him or something that he did often. It was hard for him to do, even at a time like this.

"I don't know what to say, Trixie," he got out raspily, hoping that he wouldn't break down, and bowed his head as he prepared to say farewell. "I love you so much. I always will. Never doubt that. I know you have to be in a place far away from me, from all of us, but you need to know this. You will never be forgotten. Never." He stressed the word strongly, praying that she would know how much he meant it. "I will never stop remembering you. There won't be a minute in my life that goes by without you in it. You are here, in my heart, and you always will be." He put his hand on top of his heart as if he could actually hold her there.

"You are everything to me. You will always be everything to me." He put the tips of his fingers to his lips and slowly brought the kiss back to her tombstone. All dreams, all hopes, and all prospects of his future were as gray and lifeless to him as that marble. His hand reached into his pocket where he felt the familiar links of her gold chain. It had been his intention to leave it here for her but, at the last minute, he changed his mind. He needed it. It was a tangible reminder of her and he would treasure it. His fist tightly closed over the locket as he declared lowly, "You are mine, just as I am yours."

He didn't know what he had expected from his moment alone with her. Closure, the beginning of a healed heart, maybe an end to the pain that threatened to consume him but nothing came from it except more heartache, more despair, and more anguish. His shoulders slumped, he snapped his sunglasses back on, drew in a deep, tortured breath, and walked out of the cemetery. It was going to be hell but he knew that he would have to make an appearance at Crabapple Farm.


	14. Chapter 14

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Fourteen

Voices murmured quietly. People milled about, having as a good a time as possible under such forlorn circumstances. The infamous walls proved to be stretchy yet again, holding the people from Sleepyside in relative comfort. The guests hung out in the comfortable farmhouse and also spilled out onto the terrace and the large backyard. An enormous supply of food and drink was displayed on long tables under a refreshing canopy of shade. Lawn chairs invited people to relax and eat. Plates were politely filled and, in some cases, refilled. However, it was the complete opposite of a normal get-together at Crabapple Farm. Packed to capacity with people yet the mood was quiet, somber and subdued.

Di walked towards Mart, carrying a plate heaped full of some of his favorite foods. There were pieces of fried chicken, a large serving each of potato salad and macaroni and cheese, plus the requisite desserts. She offered him the plate with a tentative smile on her face. "Here you go, Mart. Our cook sent down the fried chicken. The cook at Manor House made the salad and the mac and cheese." She eyed the decadent piece of cake. It was three layers of pure chocolate delight, topped with homemade chocolate icing. "I'm not sure who made the cake."

"That would be Moms. She was up early this morning putting it together. You know how she is, Di. Working in the kitchen always calms her. It gives her a tangible sense of purpose." He looked towards his parents as they conversed quietly with the Wheelers and frowned. He also saw Chief Molinson chatting with Dan and his uncle Regan. He took the plate and sat it down next to him, not even attempting to eat any of the delicious food on it. "I'm not very hungry, Di, but thanks anyway. I appreciate the thought."

She perched on the arm of chair. Peering into his eyes she recognized the pain and suffering there. She felt it herself. "Oh, Mart," she murmured sadly and dropped her head on top of his. "You know you have to eat. I haven't seen you eat a thing in days. You're going to waste away to nothing."

"I highly doubt that." His arm slipped around her waist and held on tightly, needing the feel of her to help combat the grief swirling through him. His legendary appetite had deserted him. He didn't find anything remotely appealing on the plate next to him. "Someday, I'm sure I'll be hungry again," he whispered in her ear. "But I don't think I want anything right now."

Honey and Brian moved up behind them, finding a small amount of pleasure in the sight of the two of them huddled together. "Hey, you two," she called out with as much cheer as she could muster.

Two faces whipped around and looked at them with twin smiles of greeting briefly floating across their faces before their faces became impassive once again. "Hi, Honey, Brian." Di patted the wooden glider next to her and invited them, "Come and have a seat. Maybe you can convince my boyfriend that he needs to eat. I'm not having any luck."

Her aching feet sighed as she sat down, her fingers tangled with Brian's. She had spent the better part of an hour meeting and greeting the well-meaning guests who had come to the farm and she was tired through and through. She just wanted the day to be over with and to climb into her nice, soft bed at home where she could hopefully find some relief in sleep. The sun shining brightly above told her it would be a long time before she could achieve that feat. "Mart not wanting to eat?" she inquired, pleased to be able to focus on something else for a moment. "Surely you must be kidding."

"You really do need to eat," Brain added in his best older-brother to younger-brother tone. He leaned against the back of the glider and desperately wished for an end to the headache resolutely thumping behind his dark eyes. It felt like a vicious group of tiny miners were pounding inside his head. He thought he was a hypocrite when he said, "You have to take care of yourself."

"All right, all right, Dr. Belden. I know when I've been outmaneuvered." Heaving a long-suffering sigh, Mart reached over and picked up a small piece of fried chicken. He took a crunchy bite and then asked sardonically, his mouth full of the delicious chicken, "Is that any better?"

Di patted his cheek and offered him a small smile and a kiss to the forehead as payment. "Much, darling. Now just keep it up." She handed him another piece after he finished the first one.

A small movement caught his attention. Drumstick suspended in air, Mart pointed in the direction of the old family rose bushes. "Look who finally showed." His voice held a mixture of hurt, sarcasm, and anger, and his eyes shot daggers at the newcomer.

"The hermit on the hill?" Dan guessed correctly from behind, his sharp gaze following Mart's fingers. He spotted the familiar shock of red hair as their friend traveled along the edges of the guests, hands stuffed in his pockets, and keeping entirely to himself, resembling a living, breathing shadow. Somewhere in the past few days Jim seemed to have perfected that amazing skill of being alone within a crowd of people, as well as having acquired the ability to scare people away from him. It was probably the closed-off expression on his face, the hooded eyes, or the stiff way he held his body. Either way, no one dared to approach him.

"Do you think he'll actually deign to socialize with us mere peasants?" Mart inquired, digging into his large vocabulary, and finished the next piece of his chicken. The potato salad looked tempting so he tried a bit of that next.

"I doubt that," Di remarked drily, hurt by his inability to find comfort in their collective friendship. As far as she was concerned the Bob-Whites needed the help of all their members. To her it was the only way of dealing with the loss. She couldn't stand having one of the members refuse to accept comfort from the rest. "He looks pretty comfortable over there, all by himself. It's just the way he wants it. He doesn't seem to need us or want to be with us right now."

"It's just awful, the way he's cutting us out." Honey leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and blew a piece of her honey-colored hair out of eyes, beyond frustrated with her brother and just as hurt as Di. "He's not being very sociable with anyone right now. He kind of treats me like a fly who needs to be swatted when I try to talk to him. I'm getting sick of it." She nudged her boyfriend's knee and crinkled her nose at him. "Brian here says that we should leave him alone. I don't know if that's right or not."

"I could have cheerfully hit him over the head with a stick when he didn't leave the cemetery with us," Mart said between heaping spoonfuls of potato salad as he thought back to the way Jim closed himself off, even when seated with them. "It wouldn't have hurt him to travel back here with one of us. His lone wolf attitude is really getting on my nerves."

Di watched approvingly as Mart finished his potato salad and then started in on his macaroni and cheese. The cake would be next. She took a small amount of pleasure at seeing something so normal and so simple again."I wonder what would happen if we all descended on him," she mused, tapping her chin with a finger, and tried to picture it in her mind.

"He'd run in the other direction," Dan predicted astutely and accurately. He hooked his thumb in the direction of Jim's departing back, not surprised by what he saw. "Look, guys. See what I mean? He must have heard our discussion. He's already skipping out and heading back towards the path to Ten Acres."

They watched in varying stages of disbelief and irritation as he disappeared from the yard, his long legs eating up the ground as if the hounds of hell were lapping at his heels. "Well, you can't say he didn't put in an appearance," Mart finally said, straight-faced, and without an ounce of humor to his voice. "He may have lasted ten minutes. A new record. That is most definitely the shortest visit in history."

"I don't think he even talked to anyone." The distress in Honey's tone was hard to miss and felt by the others. Brian heard it and immediately cuddled her to him. He gently stroked her hair and then ruined his offer of comfort with his next words.

"I'd cut him some slack, guys," he announced soberly to his friends, standing up for Jim, and making Honey stiffen next to him. He seemed to be the only one not insulted by Jim's behavior. He ran a hand through his thick, dark hair and tried to explain when four pairs of eyes looked at him in stunned disbelief. "He's going through a very tough time. Surely all of you know that."

"Like the rest of us aren't?" Di questioned tiredly, not buying that excuse for a minute. She desperately wanted to throw something, to hear it break and shatter into a million pieces. Maybe then she would start to feel a little better. "Trixie meant a lot to all of us, too. None of us have pulled our heads into our shells. We need all the support we can get. I can't stand how he is refusing to talk to us."

"True," Dan agreed as he scrubbed a hand over his face and thought about one of his best friends. He downed his soda and placed the glass on a plastic table with a smart snap to illustrate his point. "Can't argue with you there. But you can't give support to someone who doesn't want it."

Tired of discussing Jim's inability to communicate with them or even acknowledge their existence, Di heaved herself up from the chair and pulled on Mart's hand. He instantly obeyed, his nearly empty plate of food in his hands. The only thing remaining was the dessert. "I think I'm going to get myself a drink. Does anyone else want anything?"

The other three shook their heads. "No, thanks." Brian watched his brother and Di leave. Then he turned to Dan and Honey and questioned them gravely, "How are you holding up?" He studied them closely, noting the same violet smudges under their eyes and pale skin color that would reflect back at him in his own mirror.

"Always the doctor," Honey mumbled quietly and neatly folded her hands in her lap. She looked like the perfect lady of the manor. "I can't speak for Dan but I'm as fine as I can possibly be, considering the circumstances. I don't know how I'm going to go back to school in a couple of days. I'm not looking forward to that at all."

"I think you need to stop worrying about the rest of us and go get some aspirin," Dan advised wisely after he carefully examined Brian's face. He saw the fatigue and the pain that Brian was trying hard to mask. "You've got one hell of a headache there."

Instantly concerned, Honey turned and searched his face, all thoughts of returning to college flying out of her head. Sure enough, she saw the signs. "Oh, Brian! Isn't that just like you! Here you are, worried about the rest of us, when you're the one who needs the most help!" Always willing to help, she jumped up from her seat and whirled around. "I'll go get you the aspirin."

He stopped her with a hand. "Don't, Honey. I'll go myself. I should have known better, believe me. I felt it starting this morning but I didn't want to give in to it."

She cupped his cheek and murmured proudly, "Isn't that just like a doctor?"

He pressed a tender kiss to her lips as Dan averted his eyes and then asked his friend, "You'll keep her company for me, Dan? I'll only be a few minutes."

"It's what I do best," he responded with a roll of his dark eyes.

Honey flopped back down on the glider, her arms crossed over her chest and let her mind wander for a moment, forgetting that she was not alone. Her hazel eyes took on a far-away look as she recalled the last time she had seen Trixie, the last moments that they had spent together that morning in their apartment. Her low sigh was one of pure sadness and sliced through Dan.

He prodded Honey, bringing her back to the present with an unappreciated jerk, and inquired curiously, "What's wrong, Honey? You seem very quiet all of a sudden." He was suddenly worried about his friend. Her thoughts had been so far away and her eyes looked lost.

Honey didn't pay attention to the other guests milling around. It felt like they were the only ones on the terrace. She wondered if she should share her thoughts and then decided that he was the only Bob-White she could tell them to. Turning to Dan, she asked him seriously, "Do you want to know something, Dan? Something really, really heartbreaking?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know but he could tell that she needed to share. "If you have something to spill, then spill. I'll listen, you know that. I'm always here for you, Honey."

It came out quickly. "She was pregnant, Dan." Honey's overly large eyes filled with tears that she struggled to contain. A few disobeyed and fell down her face..

He didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "Oh, hell," he got out on a ragged breath and sat down next to her."You have got be kidding me." He needed her to tell him that it was not true, that it was a ghastly mistake. There was no way fate could be that cruel.

Honey brushed at the tears that trailed down her pretty face and drew in a few fortifying breaths. When she was relatively sure she had regained a modicum of control, she started to explain haltingly, "She took the test the morning that it...happened. She suspected that it may be true so I bought the test for her the night before. I was with her when she found out. No one else knew, although Jim knew that there was a possibility that she could be pregnant."

He really needed to breathe. Looking towards Ten Acres and the man who had headed there, he let out a low, sharp whistle. "I don't think this is something we should share that with Jim. It's best if he doesn't know. I don't know if he could handle it on top of everything else."

She agreed with a delicate shake of her head. "Oh, no. I've already thought of that. Can you imagine what that knowledge would do to him? He's practically the walking dead right now. This would probably destroy him." A small shiver coursed up her spine.

Dan's lips turned down at the corners. He considered the history he had been told about the former owner of Ten Acres and how he had reacted when his wife had died. It must run in the blood, was all he could think. "From what I've been told, he's doing a fine imitation of his Uncle James after his wife died, that's for damn sure."

Honey considered his statement for a moment and agreed, "Exactly." After a small sigh, she added lowly, gazing down at the ground, "I don't think I want to share that with Brian or Mart and Di either. I'm not sure how her brothers would take it and, if I told Di, she'd feel honor-bound to tell Mart." She paused expectantly and peeped up at him.

"So I'm the lucky one, huh?" He released a low mirthless chuckle. "Don't worry, Honey. I won't tell anyone."

"You were the lucky one by default," she tried to explain and ended up apologizing instead. "I'm sorry, Dan. I had to share it with someone. I do feel a little better, though. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Not a problem. I didn't need to sleep tonight anyway," he responded sarcastically. "Although I'm grateful that you don't have to carry the burden all by yourself now. If you feel the need to talk, let me know. I'll listen."

"I have something else to ask of you, too. I hope you don't mind." Honey laid a calm hand on his shoulder. "I need to stay here. I can't leave yet. The Beldens and Brian still need me. Maybe you could..." She left the rest unsaid, chewed on her bottom lip, and waited for his reaction.

He didn't need her to finish, already knowing what she was trying to ask him to do. "Go visit the hermit?" He finished her statement for her with another small dreary chuckle. "I may not come back out alive, Honey. He's not the most sociable person right now. You know that, right?"

She nodded again, turning her puppy-dog eyes on him, and pleaded with him. "Please, Dan. Despite what Brian says, I really don't think he should be alone right now. He needs to know that we're here for him. I think you could help him the most out of all of us right now."

He was a sucker for soft, pleading eyes, whether they were hazel, lavender or blue. All three girls had always known it and had used it to their advantage whenever they could. Defeated by the slip of the woman in front of him, he held up his hands and gave in ungraciously. "No problem. I'll see what I can do. Maybe he'll let me through the front door without shooting my head off."

A small smile graced her lips as some of the tension eased from her body. She felt better about her brother already. If anyone could help him, it would be Dan. They had both gone through terrible losses in their young lives and had a connection that most of the other Bob-Whites had never been able to fully understand. "I think you'll be safe. Jim may not be happy to see you, though," she warned him. "But I don't think he has his gun at Ten Acres. It's still locked up in the cabinet at the Manor House."

He waved his hands and stood up, mentally preparing to face the lion in his den. "Hey, don't worry about me, Honey. I've had to deal with drug dealers, murderers, and assorted other criminals on the streets of New York City in my line of work. Going up to Ten Acres shouldn't be much harder than that. I'm sure I can handle Jim Frayne."

.


	15. Chapter 15

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Fifteen

The only sound in the house were the soft echoes of his feet. He walked through the empty and unfinished rooms, finally ending up in the kitchen. The kitchen was the only room on the bottom floor that was completely done. Rays of sunshine bounced off the gleaming stainless steel appliances. The walls were painted a charming light yellow, a color chosen specifically by his fiancee who had wanted a bright, airy kitchen like the one at Crabapple Farm. Appealing yellow and white curtains framed the kitchen windows and fluttered delicately with the cool breeze. He didn't notice it, wouldn't have cared if he had, and certainly didn't find any pleasure in it. He was too wrapped up in his own warped and dark thoughts. The thought of living the rest of his life without his soulmate was nearly too much. Dark, dreary days stretched ahead of him with no end in sight.

He felt he had done his required duty, although he doubted if his friends and family would see it as that. It hadn't been done well but at least it had been done. The looks mixed with concern and hurt they had sent him hadn't been missed. It also hadn't gone beyond his notice that they were talking about him. He had attended the damn gathering. As far as he was concerned, that was enough. Actually socializing with people was not in his plans. He threw a glance down the hall and hoped none of them had the stupidity to follow him. If he couldn't have peace, then he demanded quiet. He would howl for it if he could.

Reaching into an oak cabinet, he pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Not much of a drinker; he couldn't remember ever tasting the stuff. However, he firmly believed the situation called for it. He inspected the bottle he'd 'borrowed' from his father the night before, tore off the top, and poured some of the dark amber liquid into a glass tumbler. "Let's see how this tastes," he muttered darkly and tried it. The sip did not go down well. The substance was too foreign. It left a fiery trail down his throat that was not appealing in the least. The smell of it made him think of Jonesy and the hell that he had put him through so many years ago.

Frustrated that he wouldn't even be allowed that simple vice to assist him in his overwhelming grief, he contemplated the innocent glass bottle with a sneer. Why not, he thought, and drew back his arm. He hadn't been a good baseball player for nothing. The bottle went flying, straight as an arrow, and hit the wall with a satisfying smash. A smile twisted his lips as he watched the glass shatter. Tiny pieces of glass glittered down to the floor like demented snowflakes while the liquid dripped down to the floor and stained the yellow wall.

"I wouldn't have minded a taste of that," Dan announced wryly from the doorway, an eyebrow arched high at the mess. The sound of breaking glass had allowed him to find Jim easily. He hid his astonishment at finding his normally cool and collected friend in a manner so impetuous and reckless.

Jim whirled on him, no welcome on his face, and his lips curled into a sneer. "Get out of here, Dan. I don't need you here," he snarled lowly at him, shooting daggers at him with his eyes. Not caring that it was rude or uncharacteristic, he turned his back on his friend and walked out. The back door slammed loudly behind him, emphasizing his words.

"So that's how it's going to be," Dan mused to himself and decided he'd give Jim time to cool off. Shrugging a shoulder, he set out to clean up the mess. He opened a closet and found a broom and a dustpan. It didn't take too long to clean it up. After emptying the glass into the garbage can, he walked on quiet feet through the door and onto the back porch.

Jim heard him but didn't turn around. He remained seated on the porch steps, body held rigid, and stared out into the distance. He kept his back on his friend, just in case Dan couldn't tell that he wanted to be left alone.

Not exactly encouraged by his reception, Dan picked up an empty wooden crate and contemplated his next move, being careful to keep Jim in his sights. He would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to think that Jim would initiate a conversation. It took a moment but then it hit him. Something easy was the way to begin.

"I had a long time with Chief Molinson yesterday," he began idly, wondering if Jim was even listening. He set the crate down and sat down gingerly on it, shrewdly watching Jim, and hoping the crate would hold his weight. It groaned under him but didn't break. "Turns out there's an officer on the force here who's retiring at the end of the year. The Chief thought maybe I'd be interested in coming to work for him, give up the mean streets for a quiet little town. He asked me again about it today."

His pause was intentional. Would Jim would respond? Of course not. Dan continued, mild amusement in his voice as he carried on a conversation by himself, "I told him I'd love to come back. It's not official yet. I still have to go through the interview period. Then the town council will need to approve my hiring at the next meeting. I rather like the thought of coming back to Sleepyside and working here. I'm not too fond of the City anymore."

He felt bad when his friend flinched and tried to get the conversation on another track. "Do you have any plans, Jim?" Silence, absolute, deadening silence. The hopeful part of him decided to take it as a good sign that Jim hadn't departed the porch yet in a huff and was still there, even if he wasn't participating. "None, huh? I guess I'll have to rely on your sister, then. Honey told me earlier that you've withdrawn from Columbia."

It took a long moment but Jim finally rasped out, "You're not going away, are you?"

"Nope," he replied cheerfully. "I'm perfectly content to sit here all day, talking to myself if I have to. I'd much prefer it if you'd answer, though. I had enough of one-sided conversations with myself during the many years I spent chopping all that wood in the preserve."

The edges of his mouth curled up in what an overly optimistic person may have termed a smile. It was an ugly attempt. "You did spend a lot of time doing that," he remarked lowly.

"Good exercise, though. Can't say that I didn't get something good out of it." Dan flexed his muscles to prove his point. "So, you never answered my question. If you're not going back to Columbia, then what are you going to do?"

Still keeping his back to Dan, Jim muttered and hooked his finger in the direction of the house, "I'm staying here."

"And..." he prompted expectantly.

"What is this, twenty questions?" Jim tried to hide behind bluster. When Dan looked at him patiently, he blew out a frustrated breath and then admitted, "For the first time I don't have any plans. There's nothing I want to do."

Dan considered and heard the heartbreak behind the morose words. The pain was nearly tangible. To give Jim something else to think about, he inquired quietly, "What are you going to do to keep yourself busy?"

He motioned again towards the house. "Have you seen the inside yet?" he responded sarcastically. "The structure is up but there's still much more to do, in case you happened to miss it. I let my contractor go the other day. I'm going to finish it myself. I'll do the trim, the painting, anything else that needs to be done. I figure that will keep me busy enough." And his mind off of other things. But he didn't say that.

Dan leaned back on the crate. "I'll help in any way that I can. So will Mart and Brian. And the girls are great at painting. You'll have help, Jim. You may not want it, but you'll have it."

Together they sat in relative quiet, the hum of the summer insects the only sound around. "What will you do when it's finished?" Dan asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

His gaze roamed over the expansive back yard. There wasn't much grass growing yet. Just dirt and rocks. A few brave sprouts braved the dirt and won, peeking up and over in their journey to reach the sun. The big machinery from the building had ruined the lawn. He'd have to plant sod after the barren of winter, in the warm promise of spring. "Maybe live in it, maybe sell it. I don't know. Can't say that I really care either way. We'll see what happens."

Dan had trouble contemplating a Jim Frayne without plans. Completely uncharacteristic and the antithesis of the man that he knew. He squashed the worry within him and, since he seemed willing to talk, continued his line of questioning in a quiet voice, "Will you go back to get your doctorate after you finish the house?'

He responded with certainty. "I'm done with school." Jim leaned back and looked up at the bright blue sky over head and closed his eyes. He wondered how the sky could look so blue when everything within him felt so colorless. "There's nothing for me there now."

"And your school to help underprivileged boys? You've wanted to do that ever since I met you." He was incredulous and couldn't keep the shock out of his voice. He'd expected Jim to take some time off but then continue on, once he'd had a chance to deal with his grief and move on. He eyed Jim closer and came to an astonishing conclusion. Maybe there would be no moving on, just simple existing.

"You missed your calling. You should have been a shrink," he said sardonically. Then he sighed and admitted so softly that Dan nearly didn't hear him. "Dreams change." He didn't add that dreams were hollow when the one you loved more than life itself had been taken away from you. There was simply no point for him. He cleared his throat and attempted to steer the converstaion away from him. "Yours are, too. You always wanted to work in the City as a police officer. Now, here you are, only a few months into your dream and you're coming back to Sleepyside in a few months."

"No arguments there." Dan nodded, unable to contradict the veracity of it. Encouraged by the fact that he was actually participating in a conversation, he decided to take a chance and broached the subject that was surrounding them like a shadowy mist in an early spring morning. "The rest of the Bob-Whites are concerned about you, Jim, but I'm sure you know that."

He made a sound and rolled a muscled shoulder. "I'm not suicidal, Dan. I don't need a babysitter."

"No one thinks that." Dan waited a moment and looked over the same scenery. Instead of the backyard, he saw the first time he had met Trixie. Smiling sadly, he continued, a wistful tone to his voice, "It's still clear to me as yesterday the first day I saw her. I was getting on the bus for my first day at school with Mr. Maypenny, a chip on my shoulder the size of Texas. The first thing I saw was this cute little blonde whispering something to her pretty friend. I knew that she was talking about me and it wasn't very flattering."

Jim whipped his head around and glared, the earlier ease swiftly fading area. It took him a moment before he growled out, a harsh tone to his voice, and his eyes as hard as stone, "I don't want to reminisce." There was a heavy force behind his words and his face became hooded.

Although he was impressed by how quickly he changed from approachable to unapproachable, Dan ignored him and forged bravely on. "I thought she was the biggest pain in the ass, those first few days in Sleepyside. She seemed to be always in my way or dogging my heels or accusing me of things I didn't do. I thought a lot of unpleasant things about her." He almost laughed at his past self. " It took me a while to realize what a special person she was."

Jim held his body rigid for a long time before he finally deflated. He wiped his hands on his pants and remarked reverantly, "I knew she was wonderful from the start."

"Yeah," Dan agreed, carefully gauging him, and started to relax. "I have to admit it. It took me awhile but I thought so, too. She was one of the most wonderful people I've ever met. Full of life and fun, always willing to help someone out, even if that person was a sullen, ex-gang member."

A light entered his eyes. Lost in a cherished memory, he spoke as if Dan wasn't there. It didn't heal him but it did help smooth the ache. He was surprised by the power the memory held and how it could soothe. "She didn't back down. It wasn't in her. The first time I met her I had a gun in my hands. She and Honey had broken into the old mansion and found me sleeping on that old mattress. She didn't back down from me," he repeated with awe in his voice as he thought about the courageous girl. "I knew then that there wasn't anyone else like her in the entire world. She had her flaws but they were easily out-shadowed by her spirit." It was hard but he spoke her name. "Trixie helped me out, too. I was a sullen run-away."

Both men quieted, comfortable in their own thoughts and in the quiet of the day. It wasn't a solution. It certainly wasn't an end to the pain. There would never be an end to the pain. It may dull but it would never be over. It was a calm and it was a semblance of peace. Maybe it would be all that he would get. Jim broke it by standing up, needing something else to focus on or he would simply go crazy. "I think I'm going to get started on the house," he announced suddenly. "There's plenty of supplies inside. You in?"

Dan stripped off his tie and laid it on the porch railing. Work was good, hard, and solid, and something both men could do. It was the best idea he had heard all day. "Sounds good."


	16. Chapter 16

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Sixteen

The night always dragged on, long, slow and dark. Even the gentle light of the full moon couldn't chase her away her demons. Sleep was not her friend anymore, had not been for a long time, and she doubted if it would ever be again. It chose to visit her in intermittent waves. She was never able to combat it. Too many dreams, too many wishes, too many memories got in the way. They always picked the nighttime to assault her with their bittersweet promise and then leave her aching for more when she awoke.

The early hours of the morning usually found her awake and prowling the house or completing some mundane task that really could have waited for when the yellow sun was bright in the sky and the rest of the world was up and moving. She had learned to cope and to rely on caffeine and catnaps. The one thing she cherished about her wakeful nights was the freedom to actually be herself, her true self. It was the only time when she was able to indulge in her real identity and put her false one away.

Deciding that sleep would elude her yet again, she tossed back the thin cotton bedspread and stood up. Her body was used to the restlessness. After slipping on a pale green robe, she stumbled towards the stairs with only the outside light of the moon to guide her. She kept her steps light and airy as she headed down the stairs, being careful not to step on the two squeaky steps in the old house. She paused at the bottom on the stairs, one hand on the railing, and thought to herself. One thousand, three hundred and eighty days. Exactly three years, nine months and twelve days since that horrible evening when she had lost everything and her life as she knew it had ceased to exist. It was hard to believe that it had been that long ago since she had the privilege to be Trixie Belden.

Her thin shoulders carried the heavy burden as she moved into the living room "Hello, Sadie," she murmured to the black lab who lifted her head and looked at her with soulful eyes before going back to sleep. She patted the dog's head and then went into the dining room. She flicked on the light and blinked furiously when the brightness bothered her eyes. A large dining room table stood in front of her, with eight chairs framing it. Blue and white checked placemats invitingly dotted the table. She pushed aside two of the placemats and turned to the two tall bookcases that guarded the wall. The shelves were filled to capacity and groaned under the weight of photo albums, scrapbooks, and regular reading books. A few knickknacks and other curios finished the decoration. Not too many, though. She was still not fond of dusting.

Standing on her tiptoes, she reached for the scrapbook that was hidden at the top of the bookcase. It took two attempts before she was able to retrieve it. Trixie breathed a soft sigh as she pulled it down and studied it. She ran her fingers across the cover, which was plain in color and design. A deep, dark burgundy with no title to it or picture to adorn it. She carried it over to the table with a reverance and placed it carefully down on the smooth oak.

She didn't allow herself the luxury of looking through the scrapbook all the time. The pain it brought her was always as swift and strong as the regret she felt. The scrapbook stood as a reminder of all that she had lost and may never regain. Yet she could never leave it alone. It called to her, especially on her sleepless nights. This extremely early morning was different, though. She had a job to do. A few new articles needed to be added to it.

Running her fingers across the front cover, Trixie took a deep, fortifying breath. "You can do it. You know you can," she ordered herself as she always had to do when working on the scrapbook and gingerly opened it. The pain that came was expected and just as sharp and slicing as that night long ago when she had to give up everything. She was never prepared for it. A small, sad smile shaped her pink lips as she looked at her picture of the seven laughing Bob-Whites, remembering the day the picture was taken clearly. It was one of the last times all of them had been home together that summer. They had celebrated with a picnic and a swim in the Wheeler lake. It had been a day of fun, laughter, and clowning around. She sighed to herself as she looked closely into the faces of her friends and family. "I'm so glad I took this picture with me, that I didn't leave it in my purse. At least I have something tangible to help me remember them."

She gazed at the picture for a long time before looking at the next one. This one hurt more. It held the promise of a life that had not been fulfilled and pierced her all the way through to her soul. It was her engagement picture to Jim. Jim's mother had wanted the engagement picture. Neither Trixie or Jim had had the heart to tell her no, so, there they were, smiling back at the camera, their love for each other shining beautifully in their eyes. She didn't need the picture. She knew his face so well she could have painted it, if she had the patience or talent for it. Her eyes hungrily devoured his handsome face, his lopsided smile, and the emerald green eyes that she loved so well beaming back at her.

Her hands trembled as she turned the page. She knew what she would find there. It was a newspaper article detailing her death in the subway crash on the east line. There was a mention of the details of her funeral, as well as a list of her surviving family and her fiancé. "Please donate to a worthwhile charity in Trixie's name in lieu of sending flowers," she read lowly and bit her bottom lip. Every time she read it, it touched her. "They know me so well." It would have been exactly what she would have wanted.

Next she looked at the article about Cord Dolin and his arrest. She skimmed the article, knowing the entire thing by heart, but wanting to see the words in black and white again. Guilty of murdering Senator McKelvin. Guilty of extortion. Sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. Her eyes narrowed on the picture of the man who seemed to have shrunk since the fateful night in the alley. His hair was unkempt and there were large bags under his eyes. Hate was not an emotion she was familiar with but it pulsed strongly through her veins when she thought of this man. She despised the man who had cost her everything with a virulence that surprised her.

Needing to look away from the hateful man, she allowed her eyes to travel to the next article. It cheerfully decreed the acquisition of a new member to the police force, one Officer Daniel Mangan, who was coming home after a brief stint of working in NYC. "Whoever would have thought he would end up back in Sleepyside," she said aloud and studied his grainy picture from the paper. "Good for you, Dan. I have a feeling it was the right decision for you.

A smiling picture of Mart and Diana taken from the society pages caught her attention. It was their engagement picture, announced on Valentine's Day, and which promptly promised a wedding in June, shortly after their college graduation. "They look so happy together, so content, and so right," she noted wistfully and wished she could have been there to celebrate their engagement and their wedding. It would have been lovely. .

She read a article taken off of the NYCC website, detailing the list of graduates for the spring semester. Martin Belden, graduate with a B.S. in journalism. Diana Lynch, graduate with a B. A. in Art and Elementary Education. Madeleine Wheeler, graduate with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Business Management. Her name was noticeably lacking from the list of graduates. She shook her head and briefly wondered about what could have been.

Releasing a pent-up breath, her fingers turned to the following page. Her heart felt lighter. There was a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Belden, taken on June 11, the day of their wedding. Both were smiling and obviously so in love that it practically leapt off the page. She read the names of the attendants and ushers, pleased that Honey was listed as the bridesmaid and that Brian was the best man. Her gaze lingered over Jim's name before moving on. It detailed the wedding dress and their honeymoon plans to Antigua. The article also mentioned that Mrs. Belden had recently been hired as the new art education teacher for the elementary school in Sleepyside and that Mr. Belden would be working for The Sleepyside Sun upon their return from their honeymoon.

"I have your first article, Mart." She pointed to it and grinned, proud of him and all that he had accomplished. He had written about the Fourth of July celebration the town was hosting. Nothing big or elaborate. It was a great article about small town life. She felt the love and respect Mart had for the town with every black word on the paper. "I enjoyed every word of it. You certainly put your love of words to good use. I am very proud of you."

She found the picture of a Miss Madeleine Wheeler and her fiancé, Brian Belden. That article had surprised her on her first read. It still continued to do so. She learned that Miss Wheeler was pursuing a career in nursing and was attending a school in order to become an RN. While she believed that Honey would make an excellent, caring and compassionate nurse, it nagged at her that she hadn't continued in the field of criminal justice. But then she had to laugh at herself. It wasn't like she was working in that field, either. It also mentioned that Brian Belden had moved from New York and would be completing the rest of his residency in Sleepyside. She had to grin when she read that the date was set on New Year's Day, at exactly 12:01 AM. "Leave it to Honey to plan such a 'perfectly perfect' time for their wedding. That's one no one will ever forget.."

There were articles of police reports that mentioned Dan's names and other well-written articles from The Sleepyside Sun that Mart had written. She had clipped articles about Bobby Belden, detailing his incredible sports prowess in basketball and baseball, and a few academic awards he had won in school. Moms had even made it into the paper for winning blue ribbons at the county fair for her prize flower arrangement and her crabapple jelly.

Trixie dropped her chin into her hands and stared out into nothing, lost in the thought of all that had happened since she'd been gone. It astonished her that so much had occurred and that she had missed it all. "I've missed so much. I guess life really does go on." She blew out an unhappy breath and then thought briefly about the changes to her life. Tapping a finger on the table, she wondered what her friends and family would think about her and allowed her mind to wander, picturing their reactions.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, she focused on the page in front of her and gasped with delight. The wedding picture of Honey and Brian was stunning, absolutely stunning. Honey looked like a fairy tale princess from a children's book. She had worn her hair twisted up, with a few artful tendrils spilling down the side of her face. A glittering tiara adorned her head and her veil gracefully cascaded from it and down her back. The sparkle in her large hazel eyes came through the photograph. The smile on Brian's face was the largest she had ever seen, Honey's Prince Charming, and he was obviously happy and proud to be her husband. "I'm so happy for you, for both of you." She pressed her lips to her fingers and then to the paper, the only kiss she could give the couple, and hoped that their year and a few months of marriage had been happy and blessed.

Next she read a birth announcement from six months earlier that filled her with joy. "Martin and Diana Belden are proud to announce the birth of their first child and son, Jacob Tyler Belden, born on November 7 at 7:14 PM. He weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. Both parents and baby are doing well." Her smile reached her bright blue eyes as she thought about her brother and good friend becoming parents. It seemed right and pure, the next best step for the two of them. "Good for you, Mart. You'll make a terrific dad."

A white envelope slid out of the scrapbook and fell to the floor. She picked it up and opened it. There were two new articles she had saved from a few days ago to add into the scrapbook. She nearly burst with pride when she read the first article. It detailed how Officer Mangan had heroically captured two escaped convicts from a nearby prison. Obviously embarrassed in his role as a reigning hero, he had been reluctant to be interviewed or photographed. His only words were, "No comment," to each question and the photographer had only been able to get the back of his head. The other congratulated Peter Belden on his many service of years to the Sleepyside Bank and on his retirement. She slowly picked up the double-sided tape and carefully added the two articles into her scrapbook, smiling with pride for her friend and her father.

She brushed a hand over her long golden curls and contemplated the remaining blank pages of the scrapbook, her lips frowning with worry. Only information on one very important person was noticeably missing and caused her a lot of concern. "What have you been doing, Jim?" she asked the air around her and got no answer. She chewed on her bottom lip. "I have never been able to find a single bit of news on you. Anywhere, Jim." And she tried, oh, how she tried, but she was never successful. No mention of him graduating from Columbia or any other college with his doctorate. No mention of his school. No mention of him pursuing a job or where he was living. No mention of him at all, except as an usher in Mart's wedding and as Brian's best man. She never knew whether she should be grateful for the lack of information or not. If she had ever had to see an engagement or a wedding picture with him and some smiling, gorgeous, nameless woman next to him...she couldn't even finish the thought. She crumpled the white envelope in her hands and dropped it to the floor like it was a hot coal, her eyes glinting with steel at the mere thought.

It took awhile but she finally closed the book. It always felt like she was closing the door on her real life every time she finished with the scrapbook. After slowly standing up, she carefully placed it back in its spot, high up on the bookshelf and well out of sight, and felt the shackles of her new life take hold of her again. "'Til next time," she told it and stepped back down. With a flick of the wrist, she turned off the light and headed back upstairs, her steps light and sure, and ready to attempt to conquer that elusive thing called sleep again.

She had one more stop before she went back to bed. She paused in the doorway and felt the worry, pain and anguish of the past few years fade away into nothingness. The calm and love that overcame her was a powerful ally and proved to her how much she had going for herself. She was not alone. She had someone to love and someone who loved her. With shining eyes, she gazed at the sleeping child in the bed, proof of her love for Jim. A single ray of moonlight filtered through and turned the yellow curls spread across the soft pillow into burnished gold. The only sound in the room was the peaceful, rhythmic breathing of her three-year old. When she looked at her child she knew that all was right with her world, no matter how twisted it had become, and that hope, love, and dreams could still prevail. "I love you," Trixie murmured quietly. She stayed for a moment longer, her eyes never leaving her child, and then left the room.

After shrugging off her robe and climbing back into bed, she stared up at the darkened ceiling for a long time, her heart aching for all that had been lost to her. Her few cherished moments as Trixie Belden were finished, not to be repeated until the next time she was awake and alone in the night. When morning came she would have to be Katie Winthrop, widow and mother, again. And so it would continue.


	17. Chapter 17

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Seventeen

It was a beautiful early May evening. The blue sky stretched on forever, with hints of clouds lazily floating by. The sun was starting to sink lower but there was the promise of longer days and shorter nights ahead. Jim hurried out of the house to his dark green pick-up truck. He threw open the door, dropped the present wrapped gaily in red and blue paper on the passenger seat, and gunned the engine. Time had gotten away from him while he was working in his workshop and had thrown his schedule off. Frowning, he looked at the time on the clock. He didn't want to be late to the party and face the wrath of Diana Lynch Belden. She didn't respond well when guests were late, especially to something as important as a celebration for her son's six-month birthday.

The familiar scenery of Glen Road rolled by in a blur as he drove the short distance to the Belden house. He concentrated on the road and gauged his time. He didn't notice the new blooms on the trees or the way the fresh green leaves were starting to uncurl. He didn't see the pretty multi-colored blossoms popping up through the ground and the thick green grass surrounding them. The promise of spring was sprouting all over and he was immune to its lush beauty.

When he pulled into the driveway of the charming stone cottage that sat on an acre of land halfway between Crabapple Farm and the Lynch estate, he was pleasantly surprised and relieved. There was plenty of room to park, which meant he wasn't the last one to arrive. He pulled up next to Mart's dark blue Jeep Cherokee. As he turned off the engine, he caught Dan pulling up next to him.

"Boy, am I ever glad I was able to leave the station on time!" Dan announced without preamble as he closed the door with a thud, a large gift bag in his hands. Tufts of multi-colored tissue paper rose above the top. "I didn't want to be late for this."

"Di's not happy when you're late, unless you have a very good excuse," Jim responded with a quick grin. He knew from past experience. Together they faced the house. He tucked a thumb in the loophole of his faded jeans and asked, "Does everyone celebrate a six-month birthday?"

Dan moved a shoulder and considered it. "I don't think so but Mart says that it's very important to Di. I think she wants to start a special tradition, seeing as how Jake is the first Bob-White baby and all."

The words struck an immediate chord within Jim. A brief shadow passed across his handsome face, darkening it. Swearing inwardly, Dan could have cheerfully kicked himself at his poorly chosen words and wished that he could take them back. Although Jim had no idea that Honey and Dan knew about the pregnancy possibility of three years past, it was obvious to Dan that Jim wondered about it. Dan eyed his friend carefully, unsure what to say or do next, and decided that his only avenue was to let Jim steer the course.

Late at night, when the sky was dark and it was impossible to hide from his thoughts, Jim had often thought about if Trixie had been pregnant. He had come to realize with a fatalistic shrug that he would never know the answer to that one and preferred to believe that she was not. Mourning her was still difficult. He couldn't begin to imagine how hard it would be to mourn her and their unborn baby. It was one of the many things that continued to eat away at him if he concentrated on it for too long. Forcing himself to think of something else, he stuck his present under his arm and made a quick study of the driveway. The shadow slowly faded from his face and he looked like himself again. He remarked with forced ease, "From the looks of it, Nurse Belden and Dr. Belden are the only ones missing from this gathering."

Dan sighed to himself and silently cheered for his friend's courage. "I think you're right, Jim." He motioned towards the house and said, "Let's go celebrate."

They entered the home without knocking and paused on the threshold as they took in the large room before them, both overwhelmed by the abundance of decorations before them. The living room had been decked out in bright red, yellow and blue and was swimming with birthday supplies. Streamers fell from the doorframes and the wall. Balloons littered the room. Happy Birthday signs were tacked to each wall. A cake decorated with happy teddy bears marching across it sat prominently on a table. Bowls upon bowls of salads, snacks and drinks were laid out in preparation of the guests while color-coordinated plates, napkins, and silverware sat out invitingly. Amazed by the extent Mart and Di had gone to, Jim finally found his voice. "I guess this is where the party must be."

He hadn't heard them enter. Mart looked up from where he was blowing up even more balloons, a look of wearied exasperation that only husbands could show upon his face. Throwing them a grin, he admitted, "Di has spent most of the day decorating, as you can tell. It has been her desire to have everything 'perfectly perfect', as my sister-in-law would say. I think she thinks we've finally got it right." He gestured towards the multitude of deflated balloons at his feet. "Once we add a few more balloons, of course."

Dan poked a balloon with a smiling train on it and watched it bounce back against the wall. "I think you could use a few more balloons," he replied, straight-faced, and tried to hide a chuckle. There were easily fifty balloons in the room already. If they added anymore he didn't think there would be room for the guests.

Jim shook his head is head in amazement. "I can't wait to see what you do when little Jake turns one."

A little of the color left Mart's face. He hadn't thought about that yet. "Ahhh, well, I guess I'll cross that bridge when the time comes."

Di chose that moment to come down the stairs, a beaming mother with a jubilant infant in her arms who had just satisfied his hunger. Little Jacob Tyler, affectionately called Jake, was dressed in a tiny baby blue suit. He even had a matching tie clipped to his bright white shirt. He was gurgling happily, his bright blue eyes searching the room and tufts of dark black hair standing straight up on his head. "Hello, Dan and Jim!" she greeted them happily, Jake on her hip and a smile curving her lips. "It's good to see you. We're so glad that you could come."

Deciding that they had enough balloons, Mart put the rest down and walked over to his family. He took Jake from Di and settled him on his chest. Jake immediately starting happy, incoherent babbles that had his parents grinning at each other in response. "Honey and Brian called about half an hour ago, Di," he informed her over Jake's head. "They should be here soon. There was an emergency at the hospital but they said that they should be able to get away on time."

Di forgot to be annoyed. She ran her hands over her son's soft hair, relishing the feel of it. It felt like her face was permanently fixed in a blissful smile. "I think it's wonderful that everyone is coming to celebrate Jake's half-birthday. And I can't believe that you are already six-months old, little one." She squeezed Jake's chubby little cheeks.

"Time does go by fast." Jim held up his present and shook it, hating to interrupt the family moment. "Where would like this, Di?"

She was in the middle of saying nonsense to her son and waved her hand airily towards a corner in the room. "Over there should be fine, Jim. There's a table set up for it. We'll get to the presents later."

At that moment Honey and Brian arrived. "Oh, it looks so festive in here!" Honey exclaimed, her eyes roving across the room. She easily saw the care, time and energy that Mart and Di had gone through to put the party together for their son. She draped her purse over a chair and immediately took the star of the show from his father. Jake laughed happily at his aunt as Brian joined the group.

Jim took the gift from Brian and carried them over to the table. He watched as Honey and Brian fussed over the baby. Dan dropped his gift bag down next to the other presents. "You wouldn't believe the amount of pressure my mother and father are giving them to have a baby," Jim informed Dan.

"I don't think anyone could force Brian into something unless he's ready for it," Dan remarked as he watched Brian take the baby from Honey and hold him carefully, ever the proud uncle. "He likes to take his time."

"The combined forces of my parents is not something to take lightly," he said with a laugh at his sister's expense. "It doesn't help that they are staying at the Manor House while their house is being built. My parents are very happy with that arrangement. I think Mother brings it up to them at least once a day and twice on Sundays."

"Come get the food!" Mart called out, already helping himself to the salads and snacks set up for the party. "There's plenty of it." He was right. The food could have certainly fed a small army. In typical Bob-White fashion, everyone dug into the delicious food.

The guests spilled out onto the front porch, enjoying the beautiful spring evening. Di took the baby upstairs for a diaper change while Jim and Brian assisted Mart with his car. Honey watched as the three heads bent together under the hood, attempting to come up with the problem to an odd noise that the car was making. She sat down on a chair next to Dan, her plate of food on her lap, and watched the men work. "Aren't you going to go help them?"

"Nah," Dan said and slowly set the porch swing swaying. "Too many cooks and all that. I'm sure that Jim and Brian will be able to figure it out. Mart's never been that good with cars."

"It's good to see Jim acting so normal," Honey mused quietly. "I was so worried about him after...well, after."

He knew what she meant. It was still hard to say, even after so much time had passed. "He's doing surprisingly well. I think he really enjoys his workshop."

"He makes the neatest things out of wood!" she replied, pride for her brother in her voice. "A few months ago I mentioned that I would love to have a large oval table for our dining room, once our house is completed. Do you know that he made me one, complete with eight matching chairs? He showed it to me the other day. It's absolutely beautiful."

"I would say that woodworking has been the best thing for him." Dan laughed as a spray of something black, most likely oil, hit Mart squarely in the face. The air should have turned blue with the large amount of curses that he poured out, much to the amusement of his friends. "He could make it into a much bigger business, if he wanted to."

"He's perfectly content with his word-of-mouth advertising. He doesn't even have business cards, for crying out loud. It drives our father nuts. He has no desire to go larger. My father mentioned that he could set up a website for Jim but he refused. Jim wants to keep it low-key." She marveled at her brother, who had such an amazing talent for creating objects out of strips of wood. Whether making a complicated dining room table or fixing a few rickety steps, he treated each job with the utmost care and respect and had earned a solid reputation in the area. He was kept busy with many local jobs.

"Does he ever talk about the boys' school he wanted to open up?" Dan inquired. It still shocked him that Jim had stopped pursuing that dream.

"Never." Her lips fell into a thin line. She felt the same way. "He's perfectly content with the way things are. He enjoys living at Ten Acres by himself and the lack of pressure with his small business. He works when he wants to and at his own pace." She tapped her hand on the porch railing and asked hesitatingly, unsure if she wanted to know the answer, "Did things go well when the two of you went out the other night?"

"Do they ever?" Dan shot back dryly. "You know how it is, Honey. We eat wings, hang out, shoot some pool, talk with some of the guys, maybe play a little card game or watch a game on the big-screen tv in the bar. I drink a little beer, he drinks a little soda. That's about it."

"No prospects with any women at all?" Her first desire was for her brother to be with Trixie but, since that was impossible, she would settle for someone else, _if_ that woman met her high expectations. She would need to be sweet, kind, lovely, and perfect for her brother. She wanted her brother to find a modicum of the happiness that she had with Brian and that Mart had with Di.

He set the swing in motion again and considered the question. "Well, he attracts them without doing anything. He even holds conversations with them. It's not in him to be rude." He had to stifle a laugh at what always happened next. "But then he repels them. He starts talking about Trixie and how wonderful she was. The women are properly sympathetic at first, of course, but then, about the time he starts pulling out pictures of her or tells them how many days ago that she died, they suddenly seem to remember a prior engagement. It doesn't bother him at all." He didn't add that he suspected the only reason why Jim went out at all was to humor his sister. It was clear to him that Jim had no intention of ever dating another girl but he didn't have the heart to tell that to Honey.

"Oh, dear," she breathed out, disappointed by his answer. "It really is hopeless, isn't it?"

"I do think so. The only person for him was Trixie." It still hurt to say her name, even after all this time. "I don't think anything will ever change that, Honey." Too caught up in their conversation, they didn't see the redhead who had come to use the outside faucet to wash his hands slowly fade back towards the car, having heard nearly every word that had been said, his mouth solemn and his eyes hooded.

The screen door flew open as Di sang out happily, "It's time for cake and presents, everyone!" A fleeting look of shock crossed her face when her husband bounded up the steps, smudges of oil on his face and shirt. She held the baby away from him and motioned him to go inside. "What happened to you?"

Mart hooked a thumb toward Jim and Brian. "Ask Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum," he grumbled and hurried into the house to clean up and change before the rest of the evening's festivities commenced.

It was nearly dark when the party ended. Jim waved goodbye to his friends and climbed into his truck. As he drove away he remembered how much Mart and Di had liked the wooden train he had made for baby Jake. They had oohed and ahhed over the craftsmanship and declared that it was a perfect gift for their son. It always made him feel good to have his work appreciated. He enjoyed crafting wood with his hands. He had found a purpose, small though it was. It made him feel closer to his father.

As he got out of the truck and walked towards his front porch, images of his father came back to him, spurred on by the conversation he had overheard between Dan and Honey. He remembered how his father had taken him fishing one day, a pure male bonding experience, about a few months before his unexpected death, and had explained 'the birds and the bees' to him. It had been awkward for Jim but, looking back, he could appreciate the frankness with which his father had addressed it. Win had also driven a sharp point home to him on that long-ago day, something that he had learned and had learned well. Win told him with a seriousness that had impressed his young soul that he was a Frayne and that Frayne men had a reputation to uphold. All Frayne's loved once and loved for always, so he had to be careful about the woman he gave his heart to. Once he gave it, there would be no going back. It was in their nature. As Jim stood on his front porch, a tall figure silhouetted against the darkening spring sky, he knew he would never move on. His heart was where it needed to be. It belonged to Trixie. He was his father's son.


	18. Chapter 18

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Eighteen

Her feet ached as she got out of the car. It had been a long and exhausting day at the store. The warm spring weather had brought out the wealthy weekenders from New York to the small New England town much earlier than normal. She couldn't ever remember a busier Thursday so early in the season. _The Parlor_, the antique store and tea parlor that she worked at part-time for over three years, had been bustling with shoppers and diners from the time she opened the doors at nine until she left at four. She was grateful she didn't have to close the store.

As she walked towards the day care center, her exhaustion was forgotten and her steps quickened with anticipation. It was her favorite time to the day, the time when she was able to pick up her child and head for home. She had to grin at the sign of the smiling green dinosaur that greeted the parents into the center. He looked so foolish and happy. She patted his face and walked through the front door. She waved to one of the teachers as she walked into the center with a large smile. "Hello, Miss Michelle," she called out. She loved the small amount of children enrolled in the center and the large amount of adults on staff.

"Hello, Katie," the young day care teacher said back and put aside the paperwork she was working on. She smiled at the young mother in front of her and guessed correctly, "I'll bet you're looking for the preschoolers. They're out back at the playground, enjoying this beautiful day. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in here, making sure all of our families are caught up on their medical information."

"I thought the class would be out in the playground. It's much too nice out. Thanks, Miss Michelle. We'll see you tomorrow." She turned to the row of cubbies and collected her child's things. A small smile of appreciation graced her face at the crumpled art pictures. After she stuffed them in bright pink backpack, she slung it over one shoulder, signed her child out for the day, and headed down the long hallway. She could hear the loud, excited voices of the children well before she hit the back door. They sounded so happy. It made her smile.

A lively face with bouncing blonde curls glanced up from the sandbox, sand spilling from the forgotten shovel in her hand. "Mommy!" she let out a screech of pure happiness, dropped the shovel, and scrambled out of the sandbox. She managed to trip over a bucket on her way towards her mom but came up giggling, with twin dimples winking on her face. The biggest, clearest, emerald green eyes stared out of her face.

She caught the exuberant hug and swung her around in a wide circle, not missing the large grass stain on her favorite Disney Princess t-shirt or the ketchup stain on her purple shorts. Like mother, like daughter. Alexis Kathryn Winthrop joined in her mom's laughter and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. "How was your day, Lexie?" she asked, tucking her little girl under her arm and heading back towards the building. She gave an absent wave of farewell to the teachers on duty.

"Oh, it was wonderful, Mommy." Lexie took off her mother's sunglasses and tried them on. She crinkled her nose. "I got to paint and play with play-do. Nathan stuck some up his nose. It was so funny. Miss Patty had to dig it out." It had been the highlight of the day.

She hid an inner groan, hoping Lexie wouldn't play the infamous childhood game, "Monkey See, Monkey Do." It was the bane of all mothers and teachers everywhere. "You didn't, right?" She didn't want to have to fish that out of her daughter's nose.

Curls tangled as she shook her head. She brushed them away from her face only to have them fall forward again. "No, no. I know betten 'n that, Mommy."

"Good. Keep it that way." She pressed a soft kiss to the top of Lexie's head. Then she opened the backdoor and buckled her daughter in. Lexie kept up a steady stream of chatter the whole way home while the music from soundtrack from her current favorite Disney movie, "The Little Mermaid", played in the background.

It only took ten minutes before they reached their appealing Colonial. She stopped for a minute and gazed at the house. It was certainly a nice place to raise a child. The whole town was beautiful. But it wasn't complete, would never be complete. She hid a small sigh as she unbuckled Lexie and fervently wished that she could provide Lexie with the same type of childhood that she had been blessed enough to have. There was something magical about Sleepyside.

After they stepped through the front door, Lexie continuing to talk a mile a minute, she closed it with a click behind her and made sure that it was locked and double-bolted. Turning on her heel, she quickly disengaged the security system as Lexie trotted ahead of her. She still found it hard to believe that her house always had locked doors, locked windows, and a security system and had to shake her head at the irony of it all. Crabapple Farm, her true home, was famous for its open doors and open windows. It's only security system was an aging and not quite as energetic Reddy.

"What do you want for dinner?" she asked as she followed Lexie into the playroom.

Lexie immediately grabbed her Princess dolls. She started lining them up on the floor and placed small plastic teacups in front of them. "Noodles is good," she said after a moment of concentration. "I like noodles lots."

"No problem. Noodles it is. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me, sweetie." She brushed a hand over Lexie's hair and headed down the hall. The click-click of her black lab's paws followed her. "And I'll put you outside, Sadie." And Sadie went out, tail flying and barking happily.

She watched Sadie dash around the fenced-in backyard before turning to the task of dinner. Spaghetti was one of Lexie's favorite meals, for which she was very grateful. It didn't take long to prepare. With the water boiling and the sauce warming in no time at all, she set about to make the salad. The lettuce was washed, drained and cut and she was starting on the vegetables for the salad when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. The fine hairs on her neck stood up. Startled, she took a step back from the counter, her knife held out in her hand, and her heart pounding in her throat.

Soft footsteps went up the three steps, crossed the porch. A shadow moved in front of the screen door. Then there was a sharp rap on the door that had her heart leaping.

"Who is it?" she called out frantically, the knife tightly clenched in her hands. No one ever came through the back door. And Sadie hadn't barked once.

It seemed like forever before a familiar face looked back at her through the tiny dark gray squares of the screen. "It is only I, Miss. No need to be worried. You can put the knife down." He motioned to the normal kitchen utensil, now weapon, in her hand.

It took a moment for her to place the face and the voice. When she did, she didn't know if she should be relieved or worried. She placed the knife on the counter with a loud click, wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts, and invited him in, trying desperately to hide the quivering in her voice, "Please, come in." She couldn't begin to fathom why he was there.

Peters stepped into the bright and airy kitchen. He glanced around with approval, impressed with the homey touches that had been added to it. The kitchen looked like the heart of the home. Pictures dominated the refridgerator. The large amount of preschool artwork taped to the walls brought the biggest smile to his face. "It looks good in here, Miss. The house has suited you well."

Still caught between the dueling reactions of fight or flight, she stood stupidly in the center of the kitchen. The water boiling over the pot finally caught her attention. "Oh!" She exclaimed, thinking that she must resemble a lunatic, and took care of it while Peters had a seat at her kitchen table. "Would you, ah, like something to eat or drink? I'm starting dinner now." She gestured helplessly towards the stove.

He marveled at how well the young lady was handling his arrival. If she was stressed or tensed, she was hiding it well. "I'd love something to drink. Iced tea, lemonade? Either would be great, if you have them."

She reached into a cupboard and pulled out a glass, glad to have a task to focus her energy on, and not to dwell on the reason why the enigmatic man was here. The homemade iced tea was next. "Is homemade okay? I use decaf teabags," she informed him as she shut the refridgerator. A picture of Lexie in her Halloween costume stared back at her.

He nodded his assent and watched her put the glass pitcher on the counter. "I can imagine that you are surprised to see me," he began, keeping her within his sights.

"Yes," she replied awkwardly, the glass in her hand, and paused expectantly.

"Well, I have some news to share with you." The extended pause was done on purpose before he added smugly, "Miss Belden." He stated her real name firmly and watched her reaction.

The empty glass slipped to the kitchen floor, sending shards of glass dancing off in different directions along the tiled floor. "Miss...Belden?" She brought a hand to her forehead, puzzled. It was a name she hadn't been called in a long time. "Did you just say what I thought you did?"

About to answer, he was interrupted by a three-year old with interested green eyes who stood in the doorway, surprised by the noise. "What happened, Mommy? I heard a noise. It was scary."

"Oh, oh, it's okay, Lexie. I dropped a glass, that's all. Clumsy me." Her stilted laugh sounded forced to her own ears as she tried to usher her daughter out of the room. "Stay right there, though. There's glass all over the floor."

"I'll clean it up." Peters stood up from the table and got the small broom and the dustpan out of the closet.

"Who are you?" Lexie asked him with wide-eyed interest, not leaving despite her mother's attempt to get her to. She had her mother's curiosity in spades.

"My name is Peters," he replied easily when it looked like Trixie wasn't going to respond. "I'm having a meeting with your mom."

"That's good." Lexie turned back to her mom. "I'm done playing. I wanna watch The Little Mermaid."

She nodded, distracted, and forgot to remind her of her manners.. "Of course, sweetie. I'll be right back." Little footprints padded away. She moved after her quickly and had the movie set up in no time. She dashed back to the kitchen, out of breath, and needing to hear the rest of what Peters had to tell her.

Peters handed her a large manila envelope the second she reentered the kitchen. "Why don't you look at this? You'll need to make sure everything is in order. If I need to fix anything, let me know. It won't take too long for me to get it right."

With shaking fingers she opened the envelope, rocked to her very soul. Her life, her true life, her beloved life, looked back at her. Everything was as it should be. Trixie hardly dared to believe it. Driver's license, birth certificate, social security number, everything. Everything was there, in black and white. It was like the best dream she had ever had.

"You'll want to check over your daughter's birth certificate," he advised quietly. "I think I have the information correct."

Her eyes devoured it hungrily, hardly daring to believe what was written before her eyes. Alexis Kathryn Frayne, born at 3:16 AM on April 5. Mother: Beatrix Hope Belden. Her heart skipped a few frantic beats as she read the next part.. Father: James Winthrop Frayne, II. Her fingers traveled over the paper, tracing the words that she had always longed to see, and her breath hitching on a small sob of joy. It had always pained her to see the wrong name on Lexie's original birth certificate. "It's wonderful," she breathed out, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and yet being unable to completely dare to believe that it was true. Fate had not been that nice to her. "How..."

"Is this possible?" He calmly finished the question for her. "I think I'll get myself my own iced tea this time," he said with a small smile and proceeded to do that.

Trixie stood as still as a marble statue in the center of the kitchen. Burgeoning hope warred with overwhelming anxiety and yet there was still that small niggling doubt. "I don't understand. I don't. I can't understand, not until you tell me everything. What's happening here?"

He took a sip of his iced tea and motioned to the table, moved by the pleading in her vibrant blue eyes. He could clearly recall how beaten she had looked on that night so long ago. It delighted him that he would be able to give her her true life back. "Have a seat, Miss Belden, and then I'll tell you." He waited until she complied, the look of astonishment still on her overly expressive face. He began to tell his story. "Last week there was a riot at a New York State Prison. A few guards and many inmates were injured. Two people were even killed. One was a guard, the other was an inmate. The inmate was named Cord Dolin."

Trixie snapped to attention, brought out of the thick fog surrounding her brain. "You are kidding me."

"No, let me assure you, I am not." He placed the glass on the table and continued in the same calming tone, "He was killed instantly, shot three times in the chest as he joined in an attack on two prison guards. When I was informed of the incident about an hour or so later, I went immediately to the prison. It looked like Dolin but I needed to make sure that all the_ i_'s were dotted and the _t_'s were crossed. Sometimes mistakes can happen. I've read reports where the prisoner paid off someone on the inside to fake his death and I wanted to be certain that nothing like that had happened in this case."

Hope was winning out, struggling to throw off the shackles of the smothering anxiety and the ugly fear. "Please tell me more," she begged him softly, wanting and needing to hear more.

"I followed all possible avenues to make sure that it really was Dolin and that there hadn't been some kind of a switch. Blood type, dental records, and DNA all matched perfectly, leaving no doubt in my mind or anyone else's. Hence my reason for coming to visit you, Miss Belden. Cord Dolin is officially dead. There is no mistake about that." He looked her over, saw the color slowly returning to her cheeks, and gave her a gentle smile. "You are safe, Miss Belden. Your daughter is safe. You can be your true self again."

The breath she took was the sweetest one she had ever had. The smile that split her lips was the widest one she could remember. And the tears misting in her eyes were the happiest ones ever. "I can go home," she got out on a shaky breath. "I can go home!" Her excited laughter bounced off the walls and brought a little three-year old running.

"What is it _now_, Mommy?" Lexie complained from the doorway with a long-suffering sigh, as only a three-year old could do. She was not amused. The movie had just got to the part when Sebastian was singing "Under The Sea." It was her favorite part.

Trixie rushed to her daughter and picked her up. She hugged her as tightly as she could. "We can go home, Lexie!" she called out gaily and held her above her head, twirling her around in excited circles. Lexie forgot to be annoyed and laughed with her. "We are going home!"


	19. Chapter 19

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Nineteen

Trixie drove the car along the highway, the wheels humming a continuously melodious tune on the interstate. Cars whipped by, leaving the Saturn in the dust. Although she couldn't wait to see the familiar signs of Sleepyside and all who dwelled within, she drove cautiously, being careful to stay right at the speed limit. She was carrying precious cargo. A smile danced across her unpainted lips as she glanced in the rearview mirror. Lexie was engrossed in "The Little Mermaid", which was playing on the portable dvd player. She couldn't help but be grateful for modern technology and fleetingly wondered what her parents had done to keep them occupied on a long car trip.

Although she could recite the movie, as well as a half-dozen other favorites and maybe even write a dissertation on them, she still questioned Lexie, "What is Ariel doing right now, Lex?"

"She's lookin' at Prince Eric on the boat," was the absent reply. Lexie didn't take her eyes of the screen. She giggled as Ariel stared at the Prince with stars in her eyes and clutched her favorite stuffed Cinderella doll to her chest. Despite many, many washings, the doll still looked dingy and grey. The yellow yarn hair was no longer bright and had come loose from its high ponytail. The blue dress was covered with stains that refused to come off, no matter how hard Trixie had tried. It was a truly well-loved comfort object and one Lexie hadn't parted with since she had been gifted with it on her first birthday. Her attention remained on the movie in front of her.

Trixie brushed back her curls and concentrated on the road, rolling her eyes. Obviously Lexie wasn't going to keep her company on the long car ride. She blew out a small breath and allowed her mind to wander over the past few days. It had been her original plan to get on the road the next day after Peters' visit but luck, as usual, had not been on her side. All packed, ready to go, and then her car had refused to start. So, after much internal cursing and a swift kick to the car that only managed to hurt her toe and not fix the problem, she had called the local garage and had her car scheduled to be fixed for Saturday. Unfortunately, they couldn't get in the part that was needed to fix her car until Monday morning. Here it was, Monday afternoon, and they were finally well on their way to Sleepyside.

Sleepyside. Just the thought of it made her feel giddy inside, as if a thousand butterflies had been set loose in her stomach. She couldn't wait to see the clean streets, the familiar buildings, Glen Road and the homes along it, and most of all, the wonderful people who lived there. She looked at the clock and decided it would take less than an hour before she was home. "How am I going to focus on something else besides getting home?" she asked herself. The only answer she got was from the black lab next to her. Sadie yawned and curled up on the passenger seat, her gentle eyes closed as she succumbed to the rhythmic motion of the car.

Trixie rubbed her soft black ears. It would be interesting to see how Reddy would react to a new dog. She remembered how she had rescued Sadie from the animal shelter, shortly after she had arrived in Lincoln. A dog had been a must, a way for her to feel safe in the house, and also good company on the long, lonely days and nights. She hadn't known what type of dog she was looking for when she went into the shelter but the second she had seen Sadie, she knew. It had been love at first sight for both of them. "Good girl," she mumbled and absently patted her on the head.

A quick look at the clock made her see that ten minutes had gone by. "Reminiscing must be good," she decided with a nod. "I'll bet it'll make the trip go by much faster." She thought back to the Thursday evening, after Peters had left, and how she had attempted to explain the situation to one very wide-eyed and confused three-year old. It had been difficult. Trixie still wasn't certain if Lexie completely grasped the situation in its entirety. She seemed to take it in stride that her last name was now Frayne, not Winthrop, and that her mom was really named Trixie. She chuckled at how Lexie had reacted to her name. "Really, Mommy," she had said in her childish voice, "that's a silly name. But I like it."

When Lexie asked her the ever-famous preschool question to all of the sudden changes, "Why?", Trixie had decided to keep it very simple and used a small part of the "official" story that Peters had devised for her to tell the world. She explained that a few years ago she had been in a bad accident and had lost part of her memory. Her memory was coming back and she could finally remember who she was and where they belonged. Lexie had accepted it as well as a three-year old could but Trixie knew that there would be more questions to come in the future. It was an extremely tangled web that would need to be untangled, for Lexie and many others.

And then she thought again about the delay in traveling home and how frustrating that had been for her. "It figures something would have come up," Trixie gritted out with a small moan. "Life certainly hasn't gone that smoothly for me in the past few years." She had spent the past few days starting to pack up the house under the very interested gaze of Lexie and Sadie, who both seemed to be everywhere and extremely good at being unhelpful in the endeavor. She had even held a meeting with a local real estate agent, who had appraised the house and would have it listed for sale in the next few days. A slow grin crossed her face as she remembered how the agent reacted when she told her she didn't care how much she got for the house. The monetary value didn't matter. She was beyond glad to be able to close that chapter of her life and to start moving in the right direction. That right direction was bringing her to Sleepyside and to...She couldn't finish it but fervently hoped and prayed that a handsome redhead would be waiting for her at the journey's end.

Her thoughts drifted to what was awaiting her in Sleepyside. Images of beloved and cherished people swam in front of her eyes, bringing a hope and a love that was almost painful in its overwhelming sweetness. So many people, so many loved ones. Moms, Dad, and Bobby, Di and Mart, Honey and Brian, Dan...and Jim. What would they say? What would they do? She couldn't picture their reactions in her mind, couldn't plan out what she would say to them or how they would react. She tapped her finger on the steering wheel, her eyes trained on her daughter, and a small worry surfacing. What would _he_ say? What would _he_ do? She didn't know, couldn't even begin to fathom, and hoped with all her heart that it would be okay.

Letting her thoughts wander paid off. Before she knew it, it was time to turn off the interstate. A road sign at the intersection read, _Sleepyside, 4 Miles_. She cut off the air conditioner and rolled down the window. Spring assaulted her with its gentle flowery smell. Although it had been a long time since she had traveled here, she was amazed at how easy it was for her to remember the quiet country roads. She guided her car with ease along the main route and soon found herself driving past the Junior-Senior High School. "Bobby will be in there," she exclaimed, recalling that it was a school day. She couldn't wait to see how much he had changed. The few grainy pictures of him in the newspaper weren't enough. She needed to see him in person. "And he'll be graduating in a few weeks. Little Bobby, high school graduate." Her eyes lit up when she realized she wouldn't miss out on his high school graduation.

She drove further into the small town, its streets lazy on this mid-May day with only a few cars and pedestrians. She sent a jaunty wave towards Hoppy and pointed him out to Lexie, who ignored her in favor of her movie. Trixie laughed, feeling ten years younger, and foolishly delighted to see sights so dear to her heart. Her grin spread across her face at the sight of Wimpy's, their favorite hang-out. It seemed like the ghosts of the young Bob-Whites were waving at her from the windows, cheering her on and welcoming her home.

She turned down a quiet road and pulled into a parking lot behind a one-story brick building, being sure to keep the car in the shade, and cut the engine. "The Sleepyside Sun" was emblazoned on the front of the building with large efficient block letters.

"Why are we stoppin'? Are we home yet?" her daughter thickly called from the backseat, caught between that stage of awareness and asleep, her eyes slightly glazed, and her Cinderella doll held in her hands.

"Not quite yet, sweetie." Trixie reached behind and ruffled her hair. "We're going in to see someone very special to us. You'll love him. It'll only take a minute," she explained softly. She was out of the door in a heartbeat and opened her daughter's door, carefully unbuckling her from the car seat.

"Don't forget my movie, Mommy," Lexie ordered, rubbing her eyes and stifling a wide yawn.

Trixie held up the portable dvd player, already guessing that her daughter would most likely be asleep well before she could start the movie. "Right here!" She held onto a chubby hand and went to let Sadie out of the car. A click of the leash and then they were tromping along the sidewalk and towards the business. Sadie picked an opportune spot for nature's call before they headed in. "I hope they let dogs in," Trixie muttered as they entered the front doors. She didn't want to leave Sadie out in the car.

"Welcome to "The Sleepyside Sun"," a receptionist greeted them at the front desk, trying not to gawk at the young woman, the little girl with the Cinderella doll dangling from her hand, and a black dog standing by her desk. They were not the usual clientele who walked through the door. "Can I help you?"

Trixie forged ahead, hoping poor Sadie wouldn't be kicked out. Luckily the receptionist seemed to be unperturbed by their arrival. She read her name on the tag pinned to her crisp light pink blouse. "Hi, yes, Lavonne, you can help us. I'm looking for one of your reporters. Mart Belden?" It felt so good to say his name aloud. It felt right.

Lavonne's big brown eyes softened. He was her favorite at the office. "He is out of the office on a story. But he should be back very soon," she was quick to add when she saw the young lady's face fall.

Trixie nodded her head. "Okay, okay." She glanced around the room but didn't see a waiting area. No chairs, no magazines, no hospitably spot. She turned back, a frown wrinkling her brows. "Is there anywhere we could wait for him? It's very important."

Lavonne made a hasty decision. Definitely going against policy, but she instinctively knew that Mr. Belden wouldn't mind in the least. "Why don't you wait in his office, Miss? It's the third door down on the right." She gestured in the direction of the hallway.

Trixie gifted her with a large smile and headed down the hall, her daughter and her dog in tow. They made a quick stop at the bathroom and then entered Mart's office. "Oh, this is nice!" she exclaimed aloud. Small but neat as a pin. There were pictures of their family and the Bob-Whites on the walls. A framed picture of Diana and their baby sat in a prominent place on Mart's desk. There were two comfortable overstuffed armchairs in front of the desk, taking up most of the room in the office, but promising an inviting seat to anyone who would want to partake in it.

Lexie giggled and ran right to the chair. She started bouncing up and down on it, glad to use up some energy after the long car ride. Trixie corrected her with a soft hand on her shoulder and settled her down. "It won't be too long before we meet your Uncle Mart," she whispered in Lexie's ears.

Lexie had only been able to see the small, wallet-sized picture of the Bob-Whites that her mother had. "He looks like you, Mommy," she recalled and obediently curled up on the seat, her Cinderella doll in her arms. "I remember that."

"You're going to like him a lot." Trixie reached over for the picture of Di and baby Jake. "This is his baby. His name is Jacob. You're his cousin. You'll be able to play with him when he gets a little older."

Green eyes studied the picture closely. She liked babies. "I can help. I can give him his baba!" She smiled triumphantly, ready to take on the chore of feeding the baby, and any other job that needed to be done.

"Of course you can." Trixie snuggled her daughter and breathed in the fresh baby smell of her hair. "You'll be the best cousin ever." She watched her daughter's eyes start to flutter. Before a minute was out, Lexie was fast asleep. She held her for a few minutes before gently disentangling herself. Sadie immediately jumped up and took her spot. Trixie smiled at the sight of her baby curled up on top of her dog. The two often napped together.

She turned away and walked towards the window. Slim Venetian blinds covered the window. She picked up one and peeked out of the window, trying to curb her impatience. Now that she was here she couldn't wait to get things moving. Mart had to be her first stop. She needed his help to get the reunion rolling. Now if only he would get here. She released a small sigh of disappointment and waited. Practicing patience had never been her strong point.

At that moment, Mart pulled into the parking lot and parked next to a car with Connecticut license plates. He noticed the plates, briefly wondered who could be visiting the office from out of state, and then strolled into the building, his laptop under his arm, and a wide smile of welcome on his face. "Good afternoon, Lavonne," he greeted the receptionist with a wink.

Lavonne blushed furiously, always charmed by the young reporter. He was definitely her favorite. So nice, so kind, and always willing to talk. His mother had raised him well. "It's good to have you back, Mr. Belden. It's been very quiet without you here today."

He leaned forward and whispered with a waggle of his eyebrows, "You know you can call me Mart, Lavonne. Diana won't mind."

Thirty years his senior, he had her giggling like a teenager. He could always make her laugh. "I know. Your wife is lovely. But back to business. You have an interesting assortment of visitors...Mr. Belden," she added intentionally, her eyes teasing him back.

He wagged a finger at her and turned to his office. "Interesting. Visitors, you say? I don't remember scheduling an appointment for today. In fact, I was hoping to drop off my latest copy and get out of here. I've got two people waiting on me at home." He turned back to front desk, his brow wrinkling. "Who are they, Lavonne?"

"A mom, her cute little girl, and a black lab, if I don't miss my guess. Can't say I'm right about the dog but I am about the mom and girl. They specifically asked for you, Mr. Belden, so I sent them to wait in your office. I hope you don't mind." She tapped her pen against the wood desk. "In fact, come to think of it, the mom reminded me of someone." She looked closely at Mart, thought about the young woman's features, and released a small, puzzling laugh. "You know, she kinda resembles you."

The only person who ever really resembled him was...Mart bit off that train of thought. Even after all these years, thinking of her still brought a swift ache. He resolutely pushed it aside and said with as much cheer as he could muster, "Thanks, Lavonne. You're a doll. I appreciate it. I'll go see who has set up camp in my office." He whistled and headed to his office, waving absently to the other reporters along the way. His closed door made him pause. He contemplated it for a moment, ran a hand through his short blonde hair. Who could be on the other side? With a shrug of his shoulder, he decided there was only one way to find out.


	20. Chapter 20

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty

The door handle started to jangle. The second Trixie heard it she jumped to attention, nerves stretched to the breaking point. She kept her eyes trained on the window, not seeing the people walking back and forth on the sidewalk or the vehicles zooming by. She didn't notice the fresh canopy of green leaves or the light purple lilacs just starting to poke through. The lovely pink tulips popping through the ground didn't catch her eye. Her breath in her throat, her hand stilled on the wall, and her heart started a frantic tattoo of excitement, longing, relief, and a tiny amount of anguish that would take a long time to fade away. She could not bring herself to physically believe it. After so many years, months, and days of continual heartbreak and a path of shattered dreams, the time was here.

With a sharp turn of the door handle, Mart stepped through the door, his eyes scanning the room and unsure of what he would find. Sure enough, Lavonne's assessment was right on the money. There was a black lab and a little slip of a girl curled up on one of his chairs, their chests rising and falling in perfect tandem as they slept peacefully together. His eyebrow quirked and he pondered who the little girl was and why she was napping in his office...with a dog, who really wasn't allowed inside the premises.

Then he found the other adult in the small office. And the woman...the mother...she gave him reason for an immediate pause that would have made Di seething with jealousy had she been there. His sharp gaze missed nothing, traveled over her from head to toe, inspecting her closely. There was something so damn familiar about her. He found himself wishing she would turn around and then maybe he could get rid of this sudden apprehension that was clawing at him. He wished he could see her face. Her back was to him, stiff and ramrod straight. All he could make out were an insane amount of long golden curls tangling just below her shoulders. If they were tamed or held back, he couldn't tell. He shot a glance at the little girl. It was clear where she got her lovely tresses from.

His reporter's eye continued his close perusal, missing none of the details, while the rest of his body began to hum with an excitement that surprised him. He knew, from the depths within his heart and his soul, he knew that something momentous was about to happen. Right here, in his tiny but tidy office. He focused on the tangibles, ruthlessly squelched the questions whirling around in his over-active reporter's mind. She was dressed casually, in worn denim shorts and a pretty blue shirt the color of cornflowers dancing merrily on a hill. Plain, unadorned brown flip-flops were on her feet. Her right hand was pressed to the wall like it was a lifeline. And her build...She was like a long-forgotten memory that wouldn't pull into focus. It stayed fuzzy, tantalizing him, and wouldn't let him get a moment's rest. It continued to pull at him, nag at him, and kept a stranglehold of his tongue. He who never had a problem finding words couldn't utter one to save his life.

She was caught in the same spell. She knew the second she turned around it would all be over. Her life would be back. Her family would be back. She would have everything back. She would be exactly where she dreamed about being, long, sleepless night after long sleepless night. She was _home_. And she couldn't have been happier. The shaft of joy was nearly painful and caused tears to mist in her eyes. She batted one away and drew in a fortifying breath. Call it irrational, but she didn't want her almost-twin to see her for the first time with tears streaming down her face.

He inched in further to the intimate tableau in his office, feeling like an intruder, but words were still foreign to him. In lieu of speaking, he reached behind and closed the door with a soft click. To each of them, the silence seemed to stretch on forever but it was only a minute or two at the most. It took an effort but he eventually managed past a sudden lump in his throat he couldn't explain, "Can I help you?"

The quietly spoken words tinged with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation spurred her into action. On legs threatening to collapse, she slowly pivoted around, her eyes meeting and matching his. Blue to blue, love to disbelief, and hope to amazement. She saw the color fade from his already-tan face, the way his own eyes widened until it looked like the black pupils would swallow the irises whole, and his lips slacken. She wished she could say something smart or witty but her brain was functioning on a level of mush she had never experienced before. All she could get out of her suddenly dry-throat was, "Hello, Mart."

The tone of the voice was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. The face...he blinked his eyes furiously to make sure it was still there and not some haunting figment of his imagination. Satisfied she hadn't disappeared, his hands gripped the side of his desk and he tried to speak. It took three times before he asked, disbelief dogging his words, "Trixie?" His eyes devoured her as she gave a slow nod. He really wanted to believe but his mind couldn't get past what he knew to be true so he tried again."Trixie?" he repeated, noticing how she gave him the same slow nod. He was close to believing, not there yet, and went for a third time. "Trixie?" When she gifted him with the same nod, his feet suddenly took on a mind of their own. He ate up the carpet in two large bounds and he caught her in a huge hug, squeezing her like he would never let her go, like she was a precious gift to be treasured and never taken for granted. The feel of her in his arms helped him to finally believe, to finally see that her presence was indeed true and wouldn't vanish like a smoke ring in the twilight. He blinked away a few tears, unashamed by them, and held onto his sister harder. "Trixie."

"Oh, Mart," Trixie whispered as tears popped into her eyes and slipped down her face despite her valiant attempt to hold onto them. She held on as tightly to her brother as he to her, unable to fully comprehend that it was safe to do so, and ready to enjoy the moment. "It is so good to see you. You have no idea. Gleeps, you have no idea," she mumbled into his chest, her tears staining his shirt.

The 'gleeps' sealed the deal. He believed, well and truly. She was here, really here, and he couldn't deny it. He framed her well-loved face with his hands, waiting until she was looking back at him, tears sparkling on her lashes. "I think I have a very good idea, Trixie, I think I have a very good idea."

She closed her eyes, taking in the moment, more than content to share her homecoming with her brother first. "I know, Mart. Believe me."

He ran a hand over her hair, making a note of the longer length, and then he studied her face. Her eyes were still the same crystal blue but there was a wariness to them he had never seen before. Whatever had happened to her had touched her and left its mark. The violet smudges under her eyes told of a battle with sleep that she must have lost on a regular basis. The freckles were still spattered across her nose, just faded and not as prominent as in her youth. She was here, she was alive, and he was surprised by how much it didn't bother him to know the whole story behind her 'death' and sudden resurrection. It was enough to simply have her here. He pressed a quick kiss to her forward and released a short laugh. "You're never going to believe it but I'm at a loss for words, Trixie! I don't know what to say next. I only want to look at you."

Her watery smile warmed his heart. She also noticed how he used her name at every chance he got, as if it was another way for him to make sure she was really there. The pain her family and friends must have gone through...it hadn't hit her before this. They must have been as lost as she had been. "There'll be time for that later, Mart. It just feels so damn good to be in Sleepyside again."

"And I'm happy to have you back. Everyone will be happy to have you back," he added with a pointed look.

"I know. I can't wait to see the whole family and the Bob-Whites again." It still felt surreal, like she was caught in the best dream of her life. She was still waiting for the alarm clock to wake her up, to pull her from her sweetest dream and bring her back into her own private hell. The beam of sun falling at her feet helped her see that maybe, just maybe, she could have her dreams. Her giggle was a mixture of happiness and hysteria. "I have waited for this day for so long, Mart. Now that it's here, I don't know what to do next."

Mart caught her hand and squeezed it, giving her all the support he could give. Then he sent a quick look towards the little darling sleeping on his chair. "You could start by telling me about her."

"That would be a very fine place to start." Trixie giggled again. She crouched low and brushed her hand over her daughter's hair. "This is Lexie. She's my daughter."

Mart sat down in the empty seat next to them. The love Trixie felt for her girl was obvious, pouring out of her and warming him like the golden rays of the sun. "How old is she, Trixie?"

"Three. She just turned three a little over a month ago." One last pat and Trixie stood up, suddenly nervous. She could tell that there were a million questions swirling around in her brother's brain and she braced herself for the onslaught.

"Three, hmm." Mart did a rapid set of math that would have made his teachers proud and came up with the most logical answer. The questions were there, joining the ones on the reason why she had been away from them for so long, right on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back, surprising her. He would never have been able to let something like this go as a teenager. As an adult, he could understand that Trixie would need to tell this tale on her own. "She's beautiful, Trix. Jake's going to be very happy to have a playmate."

Her sudden nerves dissipated into thin air, as if they had never been there. "Oh!" Trixie turned to his desk and grabbed the picture. A serene smile curved her lips. "He looks like a mixture of you and Di. Black hair, blue eyes."

"And my sense of humor," Mart finished for her. "At least, that's what Di likes to say. I'm not sure about that. After all, he just turned six months old."

"I know." When he arched a look at her, she hemmed a bit and then admitted, "I followed along the best I could, Mart. I know a good bit about what has happened since....well, since." She wasn't sure how to finish it and wrung her hands. "I know about Jacob Tyler, the cutest little nephew to ever grace this earth."

"You know a little more than I do," he mumbled to himself and then felt bad at the flash of pain that crossed her face. He threw his hands up in apology. "Sorry, Trix. This probably isn't the best place for your story, is it?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. That's actually why I came here first. I'm going to need your help, Mart."

Interested, he leaned forward and caught her hand. He seemed unwilling to take his eyes off of her and the need to touch his sister was strong. He was almost afraid that if he stopped looking or touching, the floor would open and she would vanish from the spot. Foolish, he knew, but a fear nonetheless. "I'll help you, Trixie, anyway that I can. Name it."

A ghost of a smile floated across her lips. She needed something to do with her hands so she placed the picture back on his desk. "I'm not sure what the best way to tell everyone is. It's quite a long and complicated story, you see. Well, there are actually two stories, one that is the official story and one that is unofficial, if you know what I mean. No, of course you don't. Not yet. And, hmm, well, I really only want to tell them once." She finished on a small, helpless laugh at her rambling explanation.

He didn't' make a sarcastic remark about her long-winded and confusing explanation. "Then I suggest we get the gang together and meet at the Farm," Mart said decisively. "I can have Di call the calvary and have everyone there in a matter of minutes." He glanced at the clock and groaned. "Well, let me rephrase that. It may not be in not a matter of minutes. But shifts should be over soon. I bet everyone can get there in an hour. Maybe two at the most."

"The Farm. That sounds perfect." Images of Crabapple Farm, with its homey warmth and charming grace, made her feel safe and secure, and would provide her with the right amount of strength to share her tales. A perfect place for her homecoming. "That sounds right. We'll all meet there."

"Can I set up anything else?" He would have walked through a mile of broken glass if it meant that his sister was well and truly alive.

She bit her bottom lip, would have chewed off any lipstick if she had bothered to put any on, and gave a rapid mental calculation that would have astounded her army of algebra teachers. "Well, there could end up being a lot of people there." She considered sleeping Lexie and came to the only logical conclusion. "I don't want Lexie to be confused or overwhelmed. Plus, she doesn't know all that is going on. Maybe..."

"I can have Di get a babysitter," he finished with complete understanding. "Lexie and Jake can stay at my house."

She released a relieved sigh, glad to have that burden taken care of. "Thanks, Mart. I had a feeling you and Di would know a reliable one."

He made a verbal list of what he needed to do. "One large family and assorted others. Reunion in roughly an hour or two at Crabapple Farm. One babysitter for two babies at the cottage." He flexed his fingers and said with his trademark grin, "Watch the master at work."

Before her sudden disappearance into a life she had not sought or wanted, she would have sent back a playful insult. Now, she could only smile gratefully and be happy that she could witness his unique brand of humor again.

He pulled out his cell, ready to make the call, when the little bundle next to him started stirring. Forgotten his errand, he focused in on the little girl. He watched as she stretched, yawned, and moved a small dimpled hand over her dog. When he eyes fluttered open, first once, then twice, and finally three times, his suspicions were confirmed. Blonde curls, blue eyes, twin dimples, a stubborn chin that she inherited from both of her parents, and startling green eyes that belonged to one of his oldest friends. He arched an eyebrow at Trixie, who gone still. She knew exactly what he was thinking. "It seems our co-presidents beat Di and I to the punch. First Bob-White baby. Jake's going to have to settle for second." He bounded out of his seat and gave her another crushing hug. "I couldn't be happier for you."

"Mommy?" Lexie stretched and stood up on wobbly legs like a baby fawn learning how to walk. She tried to rub the sleep from her short nap out of her eyes. "What's a Bob-White? Who's Jake? And who's this?"

"Always a million questions." Trixie scooped her girl up and brought her closer to Mart. The bubble of laughter spilled out of her, almost seemed like she couldn't stop it or control it. She was so damn happy. "You'll learn more about Bob-Whites later. Now, this funny looking guy with the crew cut is your Uncle Mart. I told you about him, remember? He's going to help us."

Lexie reached out, touched his short hair, and released a small chortle of glee that only little children could make. "Uncle Mart. You have a baby!" she exclaimed eagerly, remembering what her mother had told her earlier.

"And you're Lexie," Mart said back with an easy smile. "You are three years old."

"Yes." She nodded solemnly, thought about it for a moment, and put up three stubby fingers. "This many. My birthday's in Hapril."

"Hapril." Mart considered it and then nodded his approval, keeping his own amusement hidden. "It's a good month. One of my favorites."

Sadie jumped off the chair and joined them on the floor. Trixie absently gave her a pet while Lexie took care of the introductions. "And this is my puppy dog! Her name is Sadie."

Mart leaned down and looked the black lab in the eyes. He saw loyalty, love, affection, and protection, all signs of her breed and of a good dog. He thought that Reddy would enjoy having this lovely lady of a dog around. "Hi, Sadie. I think you're going to like it here, too. There's no place in the whole world like Sleepyside." She looked at him like she understood his words and thumped her tail.

Lexie scrambled out of her mother's arms and threw an arm around her dog. "Mommy says we're going to love it here, too. She says there're lots and lots of people for us to meet! There's lots of stuff to do. She said that Grandmoms has chickens!" Her cheerful prattle was cut short by an urgent need she was in the process of learning how to control. Her eyes filled with a sudden woe and she crossed her legs. "Uh-oh. Mommy!!!"

Trixie knew the signs. It felt comforting to focus in on something as normal as potty-training. She gave Mart Sadie's leash and lead her daughter to the doorway. "We'll be back in a minute, Mart. Potty break!" She grabbed Lexie's hand and they hurried out the room.

He felt strangely bereft when the door closed behind. He studied it for a long moment, finally allowing himself to consider the reasons behind Trixie's supposed 'death.' But he wasn't nearly imaginative as his sister and he couldn't come up with a simple, plausible reason for it all. "What the hell did you get yourself into, Trix?" he muttered darkly as he rubbed the dog's back. Then he reached for his cell phone. It was time to start the ball rolling.


	21. Chapter 21

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-One

"Do you know what you are asking?" She hid a curse as the bottle slipped back into the sudsy water. She hated to complain but she did it anyway. What Mart was asking was nearly impossible, "I don't think I'll be able to get a babysitter at this short notice, especially for two children! And get everyone over at Crabapple farm???" She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and took a sip of her glass of water to try to calm her sudden raging nerves. Another sleepless night caused by Jake's teething was grating to her. Her son was an angel by day but turned into something completely different after midnight. He was not handling his first tooth well at all. "And the worst part is you're not even tellling me why I need to do this!"

He winced a bit, knew she was right, and tried to mollify her with a calm voice. "All I can say is it is for a really good reason, Di. I appreciate your help, more than you know. I think you'll love the reason when you know why."

She didn't buy it but she decided to give in as gracefully as she could. "Just you wait, Martin Belden," she grumbled into the phone, warning him of possible repercussions. "I'll do this but you're going to pay. Big time. People are going to think I'm crazy when I tell them to get to Crabapple Farm ASAP without any reason." She pictured their responses and muttered under her breath.

He heard her, felt for her, and thought she was probably right. But they would come. He knew it, even if they didn't know the reason why. And the reason why...he didn't want to give that particular secret away yet. He wanted to hold it, to see Di's eyes light up with joy when she saw Trixie for the first time. "I can offer a golden guarantee that it is worth it, Di. You are not going to be disappointed. In fact, no one is going to be disappointed."

"All right, all right," she replied back. She stepped back from the sink and went to find her cell phone. "I'll start the calls. Do you think babysitter first or our friends?"

"Get the Bob-Whites first." The bond they had formed in adolescence was still strong and about to get stronger.

"Maybe I'll text them. Then they won't be able to ask any questions." She liked the sound of that. "It may take a while, though, Mart."

"Not if you whistle," he suggested helpfully into the phone.

She repeated on a small screech. "Whistle? That worked in the old days, Mart. I doubt Dan will hear me at the station or Brian and Honey at the hospital. Jim has a remote chance of hearing me, if he's not working away in his workshop." She rolled her lavender eyes heavenward. Sometimes it was hard to be a good sport.

He didn't get annoyed. He was too damn happy to care for the sarcasm from his over-tired wife and he let it roll off of him. "You can text it, Di. That will bring the Bob-Whites running, just like in the good ol' days. Tell them Crabapple Farm as soon as they can get there."

She bit her lip, considered, and really liked the idea. Short, concise, and easy, with the added plus of no questions or explanations. "That's good, Mart. I like how your mind thinks." Di pulled out her cell phone and typed in the text. _Bob, bob-white...bob, bob-white! Crabapple Farm, ASAP._ A simple push of the button sent it through cyber space and to their friends. "That should do it, Mart. Do you need anyone else to join our little party?"

He thought for a moment. Trixie only wanted to tell the story once. "My parents and Bobby, of course, The Wheelers, your parents, Regan, Miss Trask. That should do it. I think T..." He caught himself, stumbled, and recovered quickly. "I think they should hear the news, too." He would have suggested Mr. Maypenny but he had passed on over a year ago, leaving his cabin, his property, and a surprisingly large bank account to Dan. He hadn't wanted a big deal made out of passing, not even an obituary in the paper. Trixie wouldn't know, he realized with a start. He decided he would share that news with her later.

"Will do, Captain Belden. Consider them invited. I'll get started on a babysitter now and then place the next few calls." She brushed aside a wayward piece of her black hair and listened for Jake. All she heard was his even breathing through the whir of the baby monitor. It was good that he was still sleeping. She may have enough to complete her errands before he woke up. "Who is this little girl, anyway? Why do we need to find a sitter for her?"

Mart watched her walk in the room, her hand in her mother's, and a large smile on her face. Trixie's face lit up when she heard his side of the conversation.. "You're going to love her, Di. And don't worry. All questions will be answered shortly. I love you." He disconnected the call before she could ask him anymore questions.

"I take it contact has been made?" Trixie inquired softly. The anticipation was almost unbearable.

"Affirmative," Mart answered back. "The lovely Diana has already informed the remaining Bob-Whites of our plans to meet at Crabapple Farm. She is now getting a sitter. I also asked her to invite a few more people."

It was her turn to an idea by Mart. "That's great, Mart! The more, the merrier." She reached for the portable dvd player that her daughter had never gotten around to watching and picked up Sadie's leash. Her hands started to sweat. "I guess it's time to head out."

"We'll go to my place first." Mart left his laptop on his desk. He couldn't imagine getting any work done at home tonight. He headed to the door and turned off the lights. With a small wave, he ushered the trio through the door and closed the door with a soft click. "Maybe it's selfish of me but I want to see Di's reaction first," he admitted to Trixie as they headed towards the front door. Lavonne smiled at the group from her position at the front desk. He waved back and led them out into the bright light of May.

"It'll be a little bit before everyone arrives at the house, too." Trixie looked down at her daughter, who was happily jumping from one foot to the other, slowing their progress down but neither adult cared. "And I think it'll be less confusing for Lexie. I should be able to get her settled with the you-know-who before we head out," she added in a stage whisper. Lexie handled new faces well as long as she had a chance to acclimate herself to them and meet them on her own terms.

They made it to the cars. Mart hid a smile when he saw Trixie head to the Saturn with the Connecticut plates. Now he knew who owned it. It made sense to him. He pushed back a small arrow of pain when he realized how close she had been to Sleepyside. Only a state away. "You weren't that far away, were you?" He questioned, pointing to her license plate.

"We lived in a lovely town called Lincoln," she answered with a sad look to her eyes. She reached in and buckled in Lexie, making sure she was safe and sound. After double-checking her work, she closed the door and met Mart's gaze squarely. She hitched a breath before admitting, her voice a little lost and forlorn, "It was only a little over a hundred miles away but it felt like a million."

They forged another connection of understanding. He saw the pain, the sorrow and the anguish that had besieged her over the past years. She saw the same reflected on his face and knew the deep depths her 'death' had brought her loved ones to. She shook off the feeling, ready to concentrate on the more positive here and now. "Well, let's get moving. I'll follow you to your house. There's a little baby there I can't wait to meet."

After Trixie made sure Sadie was seated on the passenger seat, she got into the car and pulled out behind Mart. She followed him down the familiar roads, not looking at the familiar landmarks this time. Instead, she thought about the reunion about to take place. After seeing a glimpse of Mart's pain, she hoped with all her heart that she could make them understand the tenuous position she had found herself in on that night so long ago, with no other options opened to her. One thing was certain, though. As she looked at her little girl in the mirror, she knew without a doubt that they would accept her as easily and happily as Mart had, without questions or reserves. Now Jim...she quickly derailed that train of thought, still not sure what he was up to or if he was even in the area. She hadn't been able to bring herself to question Mart. "The first Bob-White baby," she repeated to herself. She knew the other co-president would love the little girl as much as she did. It was merely a question on how he would react to her resurrection from the dead.

It wasn't long before they were on Glen Road, passing the Lynch's mailbox. Mart slowed down his car and put on his blinker. Trixie followed suit. She followed behind him down a curving driveway and to a charming stone house set within a beautiful glade. The house was a perfect mix of Mart's and Di's styles. An efficient and clean yard, fenced in with a pristine white picket fence, and happy flowers in artfully arranged flower beds. The porch was large and inviting. Curtains floated against the screens with the warm late spring breeze. And Di was at the open front door the second Mart stopped his car, a baby on her hip, and curiosity driving her hard. She missed the second car pull to a stop on the other side of her dark purple minivan.

Di didn't wait until Mart had stopped. She ran down the steps, much to Jake's glee, and went straight to his car. Her report came out. "I called everyone and even got a great babysitter. She'll be here in an hour. Now can you tell me what this is all about?"

Mart opened the car door and stepped out, feeling like the proverbial cat who had swallowed the canary. Knowing that Di would want to have her hands free, he took their son out of her arms and guided Di around the minivan. "Diana Lynch Belden, you should feel privileged. Because of your willingness to help in matters foreign to you, you have been awarded a big prize."

"I love your vocabulary, Mart, but now's not the time for it." She eyed him and gifted him with a twinkling smile, her earlier annoyance at him forgotten. To her, Mart was the most wonderful man in the world. She'd go to the mat if anyone ever told her different. Playing along, she let him lead her. "What did I win, Mart? Surely not a new car!" She caught the front of the other car in their driveway.

"Not a new car this time. Something much better." He shook his head and gave her a small push forward, positioning himself so he could watch her face. "Look inside, Di," he ordered her quietly.

She did and nearly fainted. She had time to be grateful that Mart had taken Jake before her mind went blank. She may have dropped him in her shock. Her lavender eyes filled with watery tears and she brought a hand to her mouth as she watched the woman exit her car. "No, it can't be. Trixie?"

Trixie wasted no time at all. She ran into Di's wide open arms, twin smiles shining brightly and beautifully, as tears threatened to spill. It was quite a sight to see and made Mart wish he had his camera. "Di!" she exclaimed when she could find her voice. The damn tears were back and started to roll down her face. She had a feeling they would be a constant companion over the next few hours and days. She took a minute to study her friend and sister-in-law. "You look wonderful."

"And you look alive!" A blush tinted her cheeks and she covered her mouth again. She had always hated it when words had popped out of her mouth without thinking. "Oh, that was insensitive of me!"

"No, no," Trixie said with a negative shake of her head, sending her curls tumbling in a way Di had always admired, and wanting to put Di at ease. "It's true. You can't argue with that. I am here and I am very much alive."

"But, why, how?" Di sputtered out, bringing her confused gaze to Mart, yet unable to let go of Trixie's hand. She held it firmly and squeezed it, as if that would reassure her that she was really alive and standing in her front yard.

The sight of the two of the girlhood friends warmed his heart, made all of the past pain disappear, and brought a huge, wide smile to his handsome face. Everything was clicking into place. He could only imagine what would happen at Crabapple Farm. A movement from the car caught his gaze. He couldn't wait for Di to meet their other guest. "There's more, Di," he informed her patiently. "Trixie is full of surprises today."

"Right!" In a flash, Trixie dropped Di's hand, turned on her heels and scooted to the back door of her car. Without preamble, she had little Lexie Frayne out of the car and in her arms, her Cinderella doll clutched in her hands. She didn't seem ready to join the fray. She looked confused, like a little one who had had too much fun at Christmastime. Trixie saw the confusion in her normally outgoing girl and held onto her a little tighter, hoping to reassure her that all was well. Any doubts to the contrary she had fell away. It would be better for her to stay with a babysitter. She wasn't ready to face a whole army of new faces at once, especially when it promised to be a typical, rowdy Bob-White scene. She introduced her niece to her aunt. "This is Lexie.."

"The little girl!" Di breathed out, studying the tiny blonde with a beaming smile on her face. She finally understood Mart's mysterious directions on the phone and gifted him with an apologetic smile. Then she turned back to Trixie and declared blithely, "Your little girl!"And Jim's, she didn't need to add. She had seen the sparkle of emerald green before the little one had hid her face in the crook of Trixie's neck. She looked at Mart again, a million questions swimming across her expressive face, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Trixie's going to tell all once everyone is at the Farm," he explained needlessly. Di had already figured that out but knowing it couldn't keep the curiosity away. "She says it's a pretty long story so we're going to have to be patient a while longer, Di. But it'll be a good one. Her stories always are. We all know our Trixie well." He sent a big grin to his sister, two almost-twins holding their babies together in perfect harmony, and laughed like a loon.

Di could have stood in the yard like that forever but Jake startled at his father's deep laugh and started to fuss. "Let's go in the house, shall we?" she invited everyone, carefully taking her son from his father. The baby immediately stopped crying and played with the amethyst heart dangling from her necklace. "We can get something to eat and talk. It'll be a lot of fun," she added to the pretty little girl.

With Lexie on her hip, Trixie brought Sadie out of the car and followed the newest Belden family into the yard. After latching the gate behind her, she took off Sadie's leash and let her romp around the closed-in yard. "I think an early dinner sounds wonderful," she said to Di as they trooped up the porch and into the house.

"Di makes a mean hamburger," Mart added hopefully with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Hamburgers sound great!" Not what she had been planning to make but she would make do. Quick, easy, and her husband's favorite. All good reasons for her. And she would have more time to spend with Trixie and her niece. "How about you let the cousins get acquainted while I start dinner?"

Mart took Jake and set him on the living room floor. Immediately, an interested little girl clamored out of her mother's arm and joined them, her earlier shyness forgotten, and her eyes shining with a curiosity he remembered seeing in Trixie's when she was younger. "This is my baby, Jake," he told Lexie who smiled slowly at him.

She reached out, touched his tiny hand, and giggled when he caught her finger in his fist. "He's so tiny, like the babies at my school." She always referred to her daycare center as her school. She pulled a small stuffed teddy bear out of a basket of toys and offered it to the baby, her favorite doll forgotten in a heap next to her. "Does he like bears?"

Trixie felt the familiar prick of tears and wiped away at them, damning them again. She hated crying but she didn't know how to get through the next little bit without them. "That's so sweet," she murmured as Di came back in, pointing to their children playing together on the floor. Her heart swelled until it was overflowing. "I never thought I'd see this. I simple can't believe that our babies are playing together."

"It is sweet, very sweet." Di wrapped an arm around her friend and hugged her quickly. Then she whispered, "It's going to be even sweeter when we get to Crabapple Farm. I can't wait for everyone to see you or to hear what you have to tell us." She pressed her a quick kiss to Trixie's forehead. "It is going to be amazing!"


	22. Chapter 22

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Two

Standing on the outskirts of the crowd milling around the normally comfortable living room, Honey tugged nervously at the hem of her bright pink nursing shirt with happy little frogs hopping across it. She hadn't taken the time to change when her shift ended. As soon as she had received her text message, she was there. "Do you have any idea why Di used the whistle?" she asked for the tenth time. She got the same answer from both Dan and her husband, the only other Bob-Whites in attendance. A negative shake of their heads. She chewed off her recently applied mauve lipstick and looked around the living room, unable to keep her hands still. Filled to overflowing, the walls were proving to be very stretchy indeed.

Dan moved a muscled shoulder and brought his can of soda to his lips. "Pretty clever of Di, though. I'd almost forgotten about our secret whistle. It's been a long time since any of us have used it."

Brian didn't add the name of the person who had needed and used the whistle the most. Her death was the reason why it hadn't been used in a long time. But he knew that her memory wasn't far away from Dan's or Honey's thoughts, either. He could tell by the way they quieted down and their shoulders suddenly slumped. He bit down on a low sigh and tried to throw off the melancholy that had just surrounded them like a tattered cloak "But we were all trained well. We always come when we hear it, or, in this case, read it." Brian's dark gaze swept the large amount of guests in the house, ready to focus on something different. "Well, neither Di or her husband happens to be here yet. I wonder what could be keeping them?"

"Well, I hope they get here soon! I'm about ready to burst with excitement!" Honey jumped up and down. She was churning with excitement and apprehension. The dueling feelings were beginning to get the better of her. She firmly believed that it had to be good, whatever their conspicuously missing friends had to say. She waved to her parents as they entered the front door of the farmhouse and called out gaily, "Oh, Mother and Daddy are here!" She headed off towards them, practically skipping with lively and cheerful joy.

The men watched her artfully weave her way through the crowd. Dan never enjoyed crowds, even when they were filled to the brim with people he loved and respected. Feeling the walls starting to creep in on him, he motioned with his hands and muttered lowly to Brian, "It's getting rather crowded in here, Brian. It seems like most of the inhabitants of Glen Road have gathered in your house. As much as I love your house, I think it is dangerously close to violating fire safety regulations."

"True." Brian had been thinking the room was much too crowded. He saw his chance to cut through the crowd. "Let's make a dash for the kitchen. There may be more room there." Without a backward glance, he followed Regan to the kitchen, who must have had the same idea.

On his way to the relative safety of the kitchen, Dan was stopped briefly by Mrs. Belden. Not wanting to be rude, he talked to her for a moment and could tell that she was nervous. Her hands fluttered and she constantly picked up knickknacks and other objects and rearranges them. He patted her hand and then resumed his trek, carefully winding his way through the crowd. He passed by Mr. Belden and Bobby in a heated discussion over which New York team was better: the Mets or Yankees. He went by the Wheelers and Honey, who were discussing the possible reasons why they had been summoned to Crabapple Farm. Honey still had that wide-eyed excitement on her face. The Lynches were keeping Miss Trask company. She was pouring three cups of tea from the sterling silver service set and offering it to Di's parents. "This is crazy, absolutely crazy," he groaned to himself as he finally made it to the safety of the kitchen. Both Brian and his uncle looked up at him from the table, matching foolish grins on their faces.

"What took you so long?" Brian asked with a small laugh. It hadn't escaped his attention that Dan had a much harder time breaking through the crowd than he had.

He gave in as gracefully as he could. "I had to sideswipe half of Sleepyside. It wasn't easy," he grunted in reply and stole a handful of potato chips from a snack bowl on the table. He popped open another soda.

"Well, have a seat there, Daniel," his uncle invited him and took some potato chips himself. He tapped the solid oak of the table and announced, "Brian and I were thinking of a way to pass the time until our guests of honor decide to show up."

The kitchen door opened and closed. "What is going on out there?" Jim interrupted from the doorway. He grimaced and motioned towards the sea of cars in the driveway. The driveway was overflowing. He was glad that he had walked from Ten Acres. He wasn't sure if he truck would have fit. He had been expecting a Bob-White meeting, not a gathering of Glen Road's finest at the Farm. "I got Di's message and came as soon as I could. I didn't think she'd sent it to everyone we knew!" His concern was evident in his shadowed eyes. "Is everything all right?"

"Take a chair," Brian offered him, which Jim did, and then preceded to explain all that he knew, precious little that it was. "No one seems to know why the royal summons. Regan and I, well, we're ready to make it a little more interesting, since it seems like we are going to have to wait a while longer. Mart and Di are still noticeably absent from this little get-together. You're lucky you got here in time, Jim. We were about to open up the betting pools."

Interested, he tucked his long body into the nearest chair and opened a soda. "A pool? I can't remember the last time we had a good bet going on." He took a long sip and asked curiously, "Have you decided what to bet on yet?"

"Well," Regan began with a chuckle, "first of all, we're thinking twenty bucks out to do it. Then we're going to try to decipher the reason why we have all been called to Crabapple Farm by Mart and Di. There has to be a good reason for it. So, we have decided to come up with a few ideas. The closest one wins!"

"I like the sound of that," Matt Wheeler boomed from behind. He had seen the mass exodus into the kitchen and had hurried away from his wife and daughter, needing the larger space himself. He leaned against the counter, his feet crossed carelessly at his ankles, and declared loudly, "I'm in!"

After all the men agreed, they each threw a twenty on the table. Brian whistled at the collective amount. It outshone the largest amount they had ever collected. "100 hundred bucks. I remember when the most anyone ever won was twenty bucks." He ran a hand over his dark hair. Life had certainly changed for them.

"We all have jobs now, Brian. Jobs that pay. Jobs with good salaries," Dan replied helpfully and kicked back in his chair in a way that would have had Helen Belden scolding him if she was in the room, his hands laced together behind his head. "Well, since we've all paid up, what do you say? How about we start making our bets? Anybody game to begin?"

Regan swiftly threw in the first, and most logical, guess. "Di's pregnant," he decreed without preamble and a sage shake of his head. "Baby number two for the Beldens.".

Loud groans met his announcement. Obviously, it had been a popular thought among the men gathered in the kitchen. It seemed to be the only reason why they would have called everyone together. "That's not fair," Brian complained in good-natured disgust. He pointed an accusing finger at the groom. "He took the best answer."

Dan calmed the men with a sway of his hands. "Calm down, everyone, calm down. We're all grown men here. Let's give the man a chance to change his answer or add more to it." He looked at his uncle and questioned him, "How many babies?"

Regan rubbed his chin and considered the possibilities, interested by the slight change he could make to his bet. "Hmm, twins do seem to run in the Lynch family. You can't go against genes, especially the Lynch genes. Two sets of twins...that's unheard of." He nodded his head, pleased with his decision, and stated emphatically, "Twins. Mart and Di are going to have twins."

Not wanting to be stuck with a worse bet, Jim swiftly jumped in before any of the other men could offer their bets. "I'm putting my bet in before all the good numbers are taken," he declared loudly. His green eyes twinkled with humor. He knew he wasn't leaving many good bets for the others. " They are having one baby."

"Bet stealer." Brian cursed under his breath, kicking the table for good measure since he hadn't been quick enough. "I guess that leaves me with triplets." He glanced at the doorway to make sure Mart hadn't entered while they were passing the time. "I think Mart would kill me if he heard me say that," he added to the group.

Mr. Wheeler laughed at the group of men, pleased to be spending the waiting time with them. He drew in a deep breath and waited until all eyes were on him, the same way he commanded a board room full of his employees, and laid down his pronouncement. "Well, I'm going with sextuplets." Smiling broadly, he waved away the rollicking deep laughter that came his way and offered his reasons. "Aren't sextuplets all the rage now? Seems to me there are a lot of people out there who are having them right now. Di's always been trendy. I wouldn't be surprised at all."

Tears of mirth rolled down Dan's face at the picture of Mart and Di with six little babies at once, plus an older one to raise. A super seven, a miniature set of whining, crying, teething baby Bob-Whites. He couldn't even begin to imagine the scene. Chaos, pure and total chaos. "I don't think you can order sextuplets on a whim, no matter how popular they are right now," he got out between his guffaws of laughter.

"Dad, I also don't think this is a trend that Di wants to join anytime soon," Jim added with a deep chuckle. "I've heard her say that she was perfectly happy having one baby when little Jake was born. They were teased relentlessly about having twins. I think some of the goofs in this room were responsible for the teasing." His laughter stopped as he thought about Mart's almost twin. He hid his low sigh behind a question and turned to the one man who hadn't placed his bet, wanting to concentrate on something different, "So, what is your bet, Dan? You're the only one who hasn't anted up yet."

"The number of babies Di and Mart will have," he mumbled to himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and dodging a balled-up napkin that Brian had thrown at him, chastising him for his slowness in giving him his bet. "I'm going to pass on the pregnancy bet. Instead, I'm going to say it's something different. That's my bet. Something different."

His choice was met with different moans and groans of male disgruntlement. "That's weak, Daniel. You can do better than that," Regan accused him, shaking his head in disappointment. "And to think that you have all the good Irish blood in you. That's just a crying shame."

"It's my bet," Dan disagreed with a shake of his head. "And I'm sticking to it, no matter what you boys think!" He stood up from his chair and headed over towards the row of windows. He pushed aside a frilly white curtain and proclaimed to the still laughing group, "I think it's time to find out who is closest. I heard a car door open and close. And I can just make out Mart's Jeep through the cars."

Brian moved next to him and poked him in the back. "It's a shame someone's ugly big, black and dirty truck had to be parked in front of the driveway. Otherwise we could see what is going on right now."

"Hah, hah," Dan shot back, not insulted by Brian's assessment of his truck. It was true...his truck was big, black and needed a good wash. However, it was not ugly. "It was the only place left. Seems to me both you and Honey came in separate cars and are taking up twice the space. Not good for the environment, Dr. Belden, not good at all," he ribbed him back.

The other men came up behind them, all attempting to peer out the window for a good look and failing miserably. They came up with a collective nothing. No good views, no good peaks into what was going on in the front lawn, nothing "Well, I'm heading into the living room. I haven't seen anything yet," Mr. Wheeler announced suddenly. "It's time to change our venue. We aren't getting a clear shot of any of the action here."

Disappointed, Regan turned away from the window. "I'm right there with you." The redheaded groom followed his employer. He stopped in the doorway and hooked his thumb at the group of young men at the window. "Do you think we can trust this group to hold onto the money?" he questioned with his trademark twinkle in his eyes.

"Without a doubt." Mr. Wheeler rubbed his hands together. "I'm ready to go win the bet. Sextuplets, here we come!" On a laugh, he dragged his groom through the door and back into the suddenly deserted living room. They looked at each other and then headed out the open front door.

"You know, I think we should follow suit," Brian decreed suddenly with a decided nod. "It seems to be the only way we're going to find out what's happening around here. This has got to be the most insane gathering we've ever had at Crabapple Farm."

Jim made it to the kitchen door and opened it. They heard a loud, delighted scream that could only come from Honey in the direction of the front yard. His lips pursed as he wondered why on earth she would have screamed like that. "Anyone coming?" he invited them and stepped through the door, ready to find out what was occurring in the front yard.

"I think you're going to lose that bet," Brain predicted to Dan as they walked through the kitchen door and around the house, Jim right on their heels. "I know my wife. That scream can only mean one thing."

"And I know my sister. Now it's only a matter of how many babies," Jim agreed with Brian, walking behind the two. They walked in friendly silence, hands stuffed in the pockets of their jeans, and their curiosity growing with each step that took them closer to the front yard and the scene of the growing merriment.


	23. Chapter 23

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Three

Helen watched Dan head into the kitchen. She covered a small sigh with her hand and looked out the living room window. Still no Mart and Di. She couldn't help be anything but nervous. She couldn't think of any plausible reason why Di would have called everyone to the farm. She had hastily thought of the idea of another pregnancy but had discarded it just as quickly. Di and Mart had not called a huge gathering of friends and family for the news of little Jake's impending arrival. "Something is off. It has to be. What could it be?" she muttered and continued rearranging knickknacks and picture frames. The smile on the picture frame caught her eye. She paused, the corner of her lips pulled down and an expression of sorrow on her face. She looked at her only daughter.

Peter walked up behind her and gently took the picture out of his wife's hand. He looked at it and felt the same pain. It had never dulled and hadn't been anything they could have found an escape from. "She was so happy that day. Her high school graduation. Ready to put behind all those dreaded math and science classes and start her dream of becoming a detective. She was ready to take on the world."

"She began taking on the world that summer she was thirteen," Helen corrected him softly and truthfully. She remembered all of the adventures that Trixie had led her friends into. Most of them were so dangerous that they had left more than a few gray hairs on her head and a few wrinkles on her face. Out of all her children, she had been the one she worried about the most.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. There was nothing like the pain of losing a child. He hoped to bring her some joy with his memories of his princess. He started off quietly, his tone as soothing as the hand rubbing up and down her arm. "She certainly had some amazing adventures. I remember when..."

Outside, a car door opened, closed loudly, and interrupted his reverie. The distraction would serve his wife well, he decided with a curt nod. She was interested and that lost look had left her eyes. "Look, Helen. I think our son and his wife are finally here. It looks like this party is about to get started." He pointed in the direction of the driveway.

Helen shook away her thoughts and walked quickly to the front door, needing to be the first one through. She threw the door wide open and headed outside. It vaguely registered that her husband was telling the congregation in the living room that the tardy ones had finally arrived. She took the porch steps carefully in her sensible shoes, her eyes trained on the familiar car parked off to the side of the yard. She saw Mart and Di standing next to the car as a third door opened and someone came out. A surprise guest? She couldn't see who. Her son and his wife were blocking the way. She did make out quick flash of yellow hair bobbing between them as the threesome turned to the house.

And then her stomach plunged as her world tilted on its side and slowly righted itself, making her feel like she had just been a fast roller coaster. It couldn't be...no, she told herself, it couldn't be. She paused on the bottom step, her hand on her heart, and looked at the small group standing a few yards away from her. She missed Mart's wide smile. She didn't see Di's eyes well up with tears. All she saw was a woman who looked remarkably like... "Trixie," she got out on a raspy breath, unable to comprehend what her eyes were telling her as true. It was Trixie.

Her feet had never moved faster, not even when she had to chase after one of her rambunctious toddlers so many years ago. She was at her daughter's side in a heartbeat and had her in her arms before any doubts could form or she could wake up from such a delicious dream. And then her dream started to talk and she knew ti to be true. Her daughter was here. She had no idea why or how but it didn't matter to her. All that mattered was the warmth of her child in her arms.

"Oh, Moms," Trixie whispered on the same raspy breath. She glanced up at the sky and breathed in deeply, holding on tightly to her mother as if she would never let her go. "Oh, Moms," she repeated again. She suddenly felt like she was three years old again and her mom was the only one who could cure her hurts. She laid her head on her shoulder while Mart and Di watched, their hands intertwined and their hearts happy with joy.

"My baby. My baby. I don't understand. I don't understand," Helen kept repeating things, unable to stop herself. She stepped back, her hands running over her daughter's cherished features, touching her as if she couldn't get enough. "I can't understand it. I can't. But I don't care. My girl is back."

Trixie touched her forehead to her mother's, feeling their tears mix and fall onto their clasped hands. It felt so good to be home. She whispered lowly and kissed her on the cheek, thinking of her own daughter happily playing with the baby at Mart's house. "I am glad to be back, Moms. I have been so lonely for you."

A loud, delighted scream pierced the stillness, shattering the moment. Heads turned towards the house in time to see Honey bounding down the steps two at a time, well ahead of the others trailing behind her. She sprinted to Trixie's side without breaking stride. Helen reluctantly let go and stepped back. Her arms felt empty so she wrapped them around herself. Mart guessed how she was feeling and hugged her from behind.

Oblivious, Honey immediately took her place, enthusiastically throwing her arms around Trixie and releasing a hysterical giggle. "Trixie! It's you! I can't believe it! It really is you!" she breathed out happily, unable to believe that her best friend and sister-in-law was standing in front of her, living and breathing, and just as wonderful as always. She reached down and collected her friend's longer hair in her hands, watching with amazement as the fading sunlight turned it to a soft gold. She knew it was a silly thing to focus on but she didn't care. Her best friend was alive and smiling at her. "Oh, your hair. I love it, Trixie."

Then it was chaos. Absolute, wonderful, perfect chaos. People streamed down the steps, their eyes wide and disbelieving, their mouths hanging open in shock, and their faces flushed with excitement. Peter stepped in next and gently disentangled his girl from Honey. Honey blushed slightly and stepped back. He then took his princess in his arms and searched her face closely, making sure that she was all right and well and truly in front of him.

Others moved forward, laughing and crying out in shock as they crowded round the small group. Hugs were exchanged, tears were shed, and Trixie was passed from friend to friend. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face or the joy out of her eyes. It was such a great feeling, to be home again among her loved ones. She looked up into Bobby's face, amazed that he now towered above her, and teased him gently. "You must be the tallest of us now."

"And you're the shortest," he teased her back. He tugged a small curl, something he'd seen Jim do a million times, and watched it spring back into place.

That small motion made her think of him. She looked around but didn't spot him. She shrugged off the small shred of disappointment. She wasn't even sure if he was still in Sleepyside. She focused on the other missing men. No Dan or Brian. She was about to ask about them when her mother claimed her again, with another fierce hug.

Following the sounds of Honey's scream and the joyful celebration on the front lawn, Brian broke into a trot and rounded the house first. Puzzled by the large amount of people on the lawn, his feet quickly ate up the ground until he was a curious part of it. He tapped Honey on the arm and whispered, "What's going on, Honey?"

She glanced back at him, fresh tears glinting in her soft hazel eyes, and her lashes spiky with moisture. She jumped up and down. "Oh, Brian! Thank goodness you're here! You'll never believe it if you don't see it for yourself. Look!" She pointed to the woman in his mom's arms.

Brian took an involuntary step forward. "Trixie?" his loud voice boomed out, carrying back to the two men who were joining them at a more sedate pace. He had her in his arms and whirled her in the air, his own laughter mixing with the others around them. "How can this be?" he asked her when he put her down, her smile as large as his.

"She's been rather sparse on the details," Mart broke in, gently teasing his sister and giving her a small nudge. Having her back was amazing. He was looking forward to having his verbal sparring partner back. "Keeps telling us she'll let us in on what happened when we're altogether. Otherwise, she's been rather quiet about the whole thing."

Dan pushed his way through, ready for his own hug, and to make sure that the vision in front of him wouldn't disappear. His arms wound around the woman and he hugged her gently. "Man, Belden, you certainly know how to make an arrival."

Trixie giggled at his foolishness. She caught Di and Honey out of the corner of her eye, holding each other's hands and jumping up and down as if they teenagers again. "I don't think I could have done it without Mart and Di. They did all the work."

Jim's feet seemed rooted to the spot, exactly where he had heard Brian call out, "Trixie.". His eyes were telling him something that his brain refused to listen to. How could she be right in front of him? It took a long moment before he allowed himself the truth of it. Once he did, there was no stopping his eyes. He drank her in, devoured her hungrily, and catalogued the changes. They were subtle but he saw them. He recognized them right away. He had always been a connoisseur of all things Trixie, whether it was her looks, her dreams, her thoughts, or her favorite books. He knew her inside and out. And he knew the changes. She was thinner. Her eyes were still blue but seemed haunted, possibly because of the dark violet color underneath them. And her hair. He had never seen her with longer hair before. It framed her face, making her features a little softer. His fingers itched to touch it, to feel its smooth silk. Her lips were unpainted pink, as normal. She never was one to fuss overly much with makeup. His feet finally started to move forward. And then the sunlight caught something small and gold that glinted off her hand. Her left hand. Her ring finger on her left hand. And his breath stopped painfully in his chest. It felt like he had been sliced open.

Trixie didn't notice, too crowded by the people around her. As the excited voices fell to a hush, Mart held up his hands and ordered everyone, "Quiet. It has been brought to our collective attention that we still do not know why there is a living, breathing, walking miracle in our midst. Maybe we should head into yonder abode and listen to this wondrous tale."

His speech was met with a mixture of groans and giggles. Brian smacked him on the shoulder. "You can lead us, oh wise one," he told him laughingly, feeling as if he could take on the world. The group turned as one and followed the brothers Belden into the house.

Trixie looked around her but a tall, lanky redhead was still suspiciously missing. She hadn't seen him in the crush of people and nobody had mentioned him. Her reunion didn't feel complete without him. She bit back a small frown of worry and allowed herself to be led into the house by Di and Honey, who each held onto an arm and chattered a mile a minute. One last glance around the yard. Still nothing.

They led her to the center of the living room, where the rest of the inhabitants had either found seats or were working hard holding the walls up with their bodies. Helen folded her hands in her lap and ordered her daughter, "Now, Trixie, you can see is that you have a captive audience. I think it's time for you to tell us what has happened to you."

"We are waiting with baited breath," Mart chimed helpfully in from the corner, a plate of snacks in his hand.

Trixie let her gaze roam across the room, her large smile matching each of the faces smiling back at her. She ran a hand through her hair and thought about the best way to start. Really, there was only one way do it, she concluded with a small shrug. "Well, I have two stories, actually. One is the official story, for the rest of the world. The other is the unofficial one. That's just the story for us. Which would you like to hear first?"she offered, although she knew the answer.

"Unofficial, of course!" Dan shouted out from the peanut gallery. "It sounds more interesting. Besides, I want to know how you beat the subway crash." He shuddered as he remembered how he had broken the news to the Bob-Whites. Jim's reaction had made the biggest impression on him. He turned to say something to Jim when he realized he wasn't there. He hid his frown and tried to concentrate on what Trixie was saying.

"I was never on the subway," she told him, much to the shock of everyone in the room. They had come to grips with the senselessness of the accident. Now that it hadn't been true, they were glad to find out the reason behind the subterfuge. "You see, it all started when I went to return my friend's thumb drive. She had left it in the computer lab..."

"And you, being Trixie, wanted to help her out," Brian guessed correctly and earned a small smile of reward from his sister.

"Of course." She took a deep breath and continued. The evening came back at her. The memory wasn't painful anymore. Being with her friends and family made its power fade over her. She doubted if the memory could ever really terrify her again. "She worked at The Ashlyn Hotel and..."

Honey interrupted her, bouncing on the chair, as everything about that evening came back to her. "We went there, Jim and I!" she exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes searched the room for her brother. When she didn't find him, she gave a small frown and then continued, "We knew you had gone to the hotel and retraced your steps. Of course, we didn't find you. We found Senator..." And two and two rapidly made four fast. Her voice fell silent while she added it up. "My God! You saw Senator McKevlin get murdered!"

She shouldn't have been surprised at her friend's perception. After all, Honey was not only her best friend. She was also her partner. "Yes, Honey. That's exactly what happened. And then I got swallowed up into the Witness Protection Program." Her announcement was greeted with astonished silence.

"They must have doctored the scene," Dan mused from position against the wall, picturing it in his mind. His imagination was vivid. He remembered the scene well, having visited it with a colleague shortly after it had happened. "I can see it now. And they took your belongings and planted them on the subway. That's why your body was never found."

Brian recalled the articles he had read about Senator McKelvin. "And they put another woman at the scene, to make it look like she had taken the video footage that you took!"

"The woman had died recently. Peters is the, well, I'm still not sure what he does, but he made the scenes all happen. He took my phone and used it for the crime scene. Somehow he was able to erase all of my information from the cell phone and transferred the account into the dead woman's name." She gave a small shiver as she shared the next piece of news, "He told me a few days ago when he visited me in Connecticut that they had worked too quickly. It was to be assumed that the woman in the alley had been killed by a ricocheting bullet. However, she had never been shot. Cord Dolin, the man who had murdered the Senator, knew when that came out that there had to have been someone else at the scene, not that poor woman. He could never find out who, though." She closed her eyes in gratitude and then said, "I was lucky that the agents had never started a paper trail on me. They considered my case low risk and didn't see a need for it. He may have been able to track me."

Mart digested the information. He refused to think about what could have happened. He piped up again, wanting to throw off the solemn atmosphere in the room, "She was in Connecticut all this time, about an hour away from us. Can you believe it? That's a stone's throw away."

"This story is just for us," Trixie reiterated, pleased that her friends knew her so well and had been able to help piece the puzzle together for the crowd in the room. "So I've been staying in limbo since the accident. I've only been able to come back to all of you because Cord Dolin died in a prison riot last week."

Di looked around, as if that awful man could crash through the walls at any minute. "Are you sure he is dead?"

"According to the autopsy, blood work, DNA tests, and dental records. Peters showed them to me before he left my house. He is dead." Trixie hated to be morbid but she didn't want anyone to fear that he could come after her again.

"And in the Witness Protection Program..." Honey was puzzling out, her detective skills a little slow from being out of use. There wasn't much call for detectiving at the hospital. "You must have been given a new name, a new identity, everything." She pointed to the wedding ring on her friend's finger. While others hadn't noticed it, she had seen it and had wondered what it meant. "That's what that's for, right? It's part of your cover."

Trixie looked down at the ring, astounded. She had worn it since that night she had entered the Colonial house in Connecticut. She could clearly remember how it had fallen out of the manila envelope. She shouldn't have been surprised that she had forgotten to take it off. It had become an extension of her and something she had barely thought about. She slipped it off and into her pocket, unaware of the earlier conclusion Jim had drawn from it. "Yeah. It was part of my cover. I was a widow." She shied away from telling them her chosen name. It had been an intimate choice and one she would like to share with the only nonpresent Bob-White in the room.

Jim heard her answer from the kitchen and closed his green eyes. Relief poured through him. She wasn't taken. She wasn't married. However, he didn't feel right rejoining the group in the living room. Instead, he edged a little closer to the door and unashamedly listened in on the rest of her story.

"So, what is the official story that you have?" Helen looked at her daughter. "I guess we should all know it, if it's the one that must be told."

"Peters decided to keep it simple and as close to the truth as you all knew it to be." She took a deep breath and felt like a teacher beginning a lecture. "According to the official story, I was in the subway crash. My identification was lost and when I was taken to the hospital, I was barely alive. It took awhile for me to recover from the accident. When I did, I didn't have a memory of who I was. So, I was given a new identity and discharged. I eventually ended up in Connecticut, where my memory has slowly come back to me." Winded from the long story, she wiped her hand on her brow as eyes in varying stages of shock and disbelief looked back at her.

"That could work," Miss Trask said with an approving nod. "Sounds like a soap opera but it could work. I can't see anyone questioning it."

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that story," Bobby added with a small sigh. He much preferred the truth. It was more exciting. Murder, witness protection. Can't beat that, he thought with a shrug. "Although the kids at school would find the 'unofficial' one much more interesting."

"Hey, they will think the official one is interesting once I write about it for the newspaper. Trixie said that I could on the way over." Mart said proudly.

That brought up something that had been bothering Brian."Hey, how did Mart and Di get to be the lucky ones?" he questioned suddenly. "Why did you pick them to go to first?"

Trixie toed the carpet. It was the moment of truth. She hoped everyone would take her next news well. She fervently wished that Jim was in the room. She would have loved to have had his support and to see his reaction. "Well," she hedged a bit, "it turns out that I needed Mart's and Di's expertise on something."

"There is something else that we need to know!" Honey had been studying her friend intently as the talk had swirled around them. She knew Trixie. There was a small part that needed to be said. Honey guessed that this piece of information could outshine her stories, official or unofficial. "I knew it!" Honey proclaimed, her voice happy and eager for more. She didn't catch Trixie's hesitation.

Trixie laughed, a trifle nervously. It was incredibly hard to admit to her parents in a roomful of people that she had a beautiful little girl. It also didn't help that the other set of grandparents were present in the room, too, their eyes riveted on her. She would have much rather had had this news come out in private. She found her mother's eyes and tried to stop the blush working its across her face. "Mart and Di are the only ones who know the good babysitters."

The news fell on a stunned room. Everyone stared at her, its implication hitting them all. Di smiled encouragingly at her sister-in-law, her hand snug in her husband's. Uncomfortable with the amount of stares again being directed at her, she announced on a rush, "You see, I have a daughter."

From his vantage point in the kitchen, Jim heard her declaration. The words rolled over him, leaving a wake of wreckage in its place. She had a daughter? He couldn't believe it, couldn't picture it, and never considered the possibility that the daughter was his. He threw a glance over his shoulder, his heart aching at the thought of her carrying another man's child, and he walked out the door, being careful to close it quietly so that no one could hear his exit. The words taunted him the entire way to Ten Acres where he went to lick his wounds in private.


	24. Chapter 24

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Trixie moved to the front porch at Mart and Di's house and leaned against the railing, exhausted from the day's events. She brushed her hair back, glad that Lexie had gone to sleep so easily. She had decided to keep Lexie here for the night instead of bringing her to Crabapple Farm, thinking that Lexie had enough changes for one day. Her mother had only agreed after making Trixie promise to bring her new granddaughter over first thing in the morning.

Honey followed her out of the house, wanting to talk to her best friend alone for a few minutes. She hadn't had the opportunity at the Farm or since most of the Bob-Whites had moved back to Mart's and Di's house to finish out the evening. "How are you holding up?" she asked her friend, eyeing her carefully and looking for signs of anything amiss.

Trixie looked up at the night sky. The nearly full moon shot beams of light to the earth, illuminating the yard in various shades of white, pale blue, and yellow. She could see Sadie curled up on the grass under a tree, taking a breather from her last romp around the yard before nighttime. "I'm wonderful," she finally answered truthfully, "Really, truly wonderful."

Honey could see that was the truth but she still wasn't satisfied. "You could be better," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm home, Honey, with my family and friends. You can't imagine what it's like to be here, in Sleepyside, with all of you. That's all that matters to me." She hoped that was enough to forestall her friend but she could still feel it coming. Biting back a sigh, she braced herself for the onslaught.

"Yeah, well, my brother is being a bit of an ass," Honey spat out, torn between sympathy and anger at Jim. She gave her head a small shake. "I can't understand why he's disappeared like this. He should be here, too."

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Trixie responded evenly, wishing she had never brought the subject up. She had taken advantage of a quick opportunity and had asked Honey about Jim before they had left to come back here. And Honey had been watching her closely ever since, just waiting for such an opportunity as this to corner her alone.

Honey thought back to the way Jim had been right after Trixie's supposed death and felt some of her anger disappear. Not all but some. The sympathy started to win out. She moved closer to Trixie and tried to explain her feelings to her friend. Her hand curved around the smooth post and she explained calmly, "I've been going through it in my mind. Dan said that Jim was with him and Brian when they came around the house. I've only been able to come up with a few possible reasons for his disappearance."

It took her a minute but she finally asked, knowing that Honey would continue anyway, "What are they?" Trixie settled a hip against the railing, her hands clasped together as she waited for her friend to continue

Honey pointed to her left hand, now barren of a ring, and made a correct guess. "I think he must have seen the ring on your hand. That would have bothered him a lot."

Trixie looked at her finger and bit back a curse. Of all the stupid things for her to do. Why she hadn't thought to take it off before she came back was beyond her. She knew Jim very well, the best out of them all. He wouldn't have been happy to see that. "I wish I had remembered to take it off before. I've been wearing it for so long. I didn't even notice it was there."

Honey held up her rings. Cool fire burst from her diamond solitaire while the moonlight danced off the twin platinum bands of her wedding set. "I know what you mean. There are times when I forget I have my rings on, too. They've simply become a part of me."

"I wish Mart or Di would have noticed it," Trixie said on a groan. "Then I would have been able to take it off before I got there. It's not like I needed to wear it anymore. If that's what made Jim leave," she added hastily.

"Oh, it makes the most sense," Honey quickly assured her. She reached over and tapped her forearm, waited for Trixie to look her in the eye. Then she continued, keeping her hazel gazed pinned on Trixie, "And Mart and Di were like the rest of us, too excited to see you to give a small piece of jewelry any attention. But I'll bet Jim zeroed in on it right away. He wouldn't have missed it. He's the one who wants to marry you, you know, not the rest of us."

Wanted. Trixie corrected in her mind, unsure where she stood with him now. Who knows what could have happened in the time she had been gone? She resolutely shook away those thoughts and focused on what Honey had said. She could picture that happening so easily in her mind; Jim held back by the wedding ring. "He could have asked."

"Not that I'm making excuses for him. Don't think that. I'm trying to play devil's advocate here," Honey announced, holding her hands up in protest in case that was exactly what Trixie was thinking. "I'm on your side. But we both know that he's also very private about these types of things. There's a good chance he wouldn't have wanted to have brought this up in front of the crowd at your house. That would have overwhelmed him."

That also fit with the Jim Frayne he knew. "You're right again," Trixie agreed, shoulders slightly slumped. "He would rather step back than be thrust into the limelight."

Honey thought she had a good handle on the situation and gave herself a mental pat on the back. She added one more piece to the emotional jigsaw puzzle. "There's also the possibility that he heard you tell us that you had a daughter. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he had been hanging out in the kitchen or something, ears tuned in to your recitation," she continued lowly. "In that case, I'll bet he didn't put it together that you and him had a daughter."

"Did you catch on right away?" Trixie asked quickly. She hadn't considered this.

"I did," Honey was swift to retort. "But then I also knew that you were pregnant when you, well, when you 'died'," she added on an uncomfortable laugh, hating to use the word but unable to find a substitute. " Jim only thought that; he didn't know for sure. I never told him about the pregnancy test you took that morning. I figured it would be easier on him if he didn't know. He simply didn't put it together. Probably too many thoughts circulating through his brain." There was also the small part of her that knew Jim would be devastated to learn that he had missed out on three years of his daughter's life.

Grateful that Honey had introduced a new subject, she latched onto it and tried to steer her friend away from the uncomfortable conversationally track they were on."What do you think about Lexie?" Trixie asked, trying desperately to get the subject away from Jim.

"She's beautiful, but you know that. She is a perfect copy of you, except for her eyes. They are pure Frayne." Honey recognized the tactic, respected it, but wouldn't be deterred. She stood up and announced suddenly, "I think I am going to pay Ten Acres a visit."

She grabbed her arm and held on tight. "Oh, no! You can't do that, Honey." Her eyes pleaded with her friend not to go. "This isn't high school. You don't have to go talk to him for me."

"Yes, I can." Honey thought of the possible misconceptions Jim could be brooding over. Stupid, true, but the effect they would be having on him would be painful. And she had witnessed his pain over Trixie's death firsthand. It hadn't been pretty. She didn't want to bring it up to her friend but she saw no other way. As gently as she could, she called on her legendary tact and softly explained, "Trixie, I don't want to make you feel bad or guilty or anything like that over what happened. What happened to you wasn't your fault. I don't think it was. No one thinks so." She grabbed a strangle hold on her rambling thoughts and tried again, "What I think you should know is how Jim reacted to your 'death.' He didn't handle it well. It devastated him, Trixie."

Closing her eyes, Trixie could only imagine what it had been like for him. It had been the lowest point of her life. The only thing she had been able to grasp with any bit of delight was her pregnancy. She had held on to that, and to Lexie when she was born, as a lifeline. It was the only thing that had allowed her to keep moving forward. "I'm not surprised, Honey," she responded quietly.

"You probably will be, once I tell you the rest." Honey covered her hand with hers and held on tightly for support. " It was hell for him, completely destroyed him. I watched him go through such pain without any help from us. He drew away from our family and the Bob-Whites, shut himself off from the world. He pulled out of Columbia, dropped his dream of his boys' school, but you've probably already figured that out. The only thing that really seemed to help him was working on your house at Ten Acres. He accepted our help on the house but he always drove himself the hardest. I came to the conclusion that he would never move on from it. He was as content as he could be to simply exist.." She took a deep breath and then admitted on a rush, "I saw him walk through hell and there wasn't anything I could do for him. I think he's still there."

The picture Honey painted was in vivid, painful colors and brought her own anguish to the surface. "Oh, Honey," she choked out on a small sob, "that's just awful." She had known it would be bad. She hadn't realized it would be debilitating.

"That's why I think he's just being an ass and I'm not that mad at him right now," Honey offered with a small laugh devoid of any mirth. "And that's why I'm heading up to Ten Acres right now. I'm going to talk to the hermit, set a few things straight, before he reverts back to form. I'm sure he's in a lot of pain, misplaced pain, but pain nonetheless."

She couldn't stop her. The defiant glint in her hazel eyes told Trixie that. "I'm so sorry all this happened," Trixie apologized and she swiped away a few straggling tears. She doubted if she would get any sleep tonight. She was certain that Jim would haunt her dreams. "I never meant for this nightmare to happen. Looking back, I wish I had never offered to take Sarah back that damn thumb drive."

"You and me both, Trix." Honey joined in her watery laughter and dropped an arm around her shoulders. "You are taking Lexie to Crabapple Farm to breakfast tomorrow, right? And then off to Manor House for lunch?" At Trixie's nod, Honey squeezed her arm and ordered her, "Plan on Ten Acres for dinner. I'll see to that!" With a quick wave and a kiss, Honey was off the porch and at her car before Trixie could stop her. "Tell Brian where I am!" she called back before gunning her engine and driving out of there, hellbent on her late night mission.

"Where is she going?" Brian asked from the doorway, having heard the engine start up and the car leave, his expression glum. He glanced at his watch and sighed. Tomorrow's morning shift was only a few measly hours away. "It's getting rather late. I thought we'd be heading home soon." Brian had left his car at Crabapple Farm and had driven over with his wife. He wasn't exactly thrilled that he had left here, carless and without a way home.

"I'm sure Dan would give you ride," Trixie offered, her mind on Honey's quest. "You're on the way."

"I know. Not sure if I want to ride with him, though. Dan's rather smug right now. Turns out his stupid idea won our bet." Brian shook his head at the folly of it and felt a grin tug at the corners of his lips. "And Regan even called his heritage into question. I guess Dan really does have the luck of the Irish."

"You were betting again?" Trixie inquired, interested. It was good to think about something different beside what could be brewing up at Ten Acres.

"Yeah. We were all in the kitchen, waiting for Mart and Di to show up, and decided that betting on why they had called everyone over to the Farm was a good idea. Most of us thought Di was expecting again. I bet on triplets. Dan's bet was idiotic. 'Something different'," he repeated in a singsongy voice and grimaced at the idiocy of it all. "But it got it done."

"That's silly," Trixie said with a chuckle, amused by the scene of grown men wagering in the kitchen of her home. She could see it perfectly. She was quick to add, "You know, if memory serves me right, Dan almost always wins your bets. You should probably take that into consideration the next time you decide to play."

"You're right about that." Brian was happy to see a small smile on her lips. He pointed in the direction his wife had gone. "So, since you know the whereabouts of my wife better than I do, would you mind telling me where she went?"

She rolled her eyes. It seemed she wasn't going to get a reprieve from the subject. "She went to Ten Acres," she said, forcing her voice to be firm and strong and not weak and wobbly and the smile to stay on her lips. She didn't want to be put through another emotional wringer. "She's going to talk to Jim."

Brian nodded his approval. He hadn't missed his friend's absence. He wondered at the reasons for him, came up with the same line of reasoning as his wife, and thought she was the perfect person to confront him on it. She'd have it solved before the moon was its highest peak. "Good. She'll get through to him. He'll probably feel like the biggest fool by the time she's done with him."

This time her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to her brother's cheek, closing the subject. "I've had a long day, Brian, and Lexie is generally an early riser. With all the excitement, I may get lucky and be able to sleep in past six tomorrow morning, but I wouldn't count on it. I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

He held her hand, wouldn't let her go. "Just let me look at you one more time," he pleaded softly and committed her confused features to memory. He admitted in a stilting voice, "It's becoming a fear of mine. I don't want to wake up in the morning and find that you are not really here. I'm afraid that will happen. I'll find that this marvelous evening has all been a dream."

Touched, Trixie was quick to assure him, "You won't, Brian. I'm here to stay." She gave his hand one last squeeze and tugged her hand free. "I'll see you tomorrow." It felt good to say those words. She waved at him and headed inside. After calling out farewells to the others, she slowly trudged up the stairs and into the guest room she was sharing with Lexie. She walked over to the bed, watched the even rise and fall of Lexie's chest, and knew everything would be all right. She would make it so.


	25. Chapter 25

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Five

Her headlights sliced through the darkness. He didn't have any outside lights on. She pulled her car next to Jim's truck and turned off the engine. Her eyes surveyed the house. No lights were on. That meant he was in his workshop. "Probably the only place he could hide from his thoughts," she correctly guessed. She understood Jim. With a small smile, she grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car, prepared to do her worst. She squared her thin shoulders and headed towards the workshop on firm feet, her mission well in hand.

The loud rock music booming through the building hit her steps away from the workshop. "Goodness, Jim, why don't you turn it down a bit?" She opened the door, mildly surprised that it wasn't locked. She wouldn't have put it past him to try and bar anyone's entrance into his sanctioned kingdom. She stepped into the garage. The lights were on, flooding the place, and the music was mixed with the sound of his power saw. The smell of fresh cut wood attacked her nose, as it always did when she visited him here. He was hunched over a table, carefully cutting a piece of wood, while sawdust flew up in the air. She stood for a long moment, wondering if he would notice her, but of course he did not.

"All right, then, sweet brother of mine, the hard way." She quickly located the sound system that was currently sending mini vibrations through her body. It was a relief when she cut it off.

He glanced up the second the music died, his eyes confused behind his safety goggles. The firm set of his mouth didn't prove too welcoming. "Honey," he greeted her slowly, stripping off his gloves and his goggles. He took an extra long time making sure his saw was turned off and wrapped its cord carefully around it.

She realized why it was taking him so long and stood, her arms crossed and her foot tapping. She could wait him out. If it took all night, she would wait him out. She wasn't going to let him push her out.

"You're not going away, are you?" he called out, positive she hadn't gotten his message. He bit back a sigh. He didn't feel up to company right now, especially the type of company she had in store for him. He much preferred his thoughts, dark though they may be.

"Nope," she answered cheerfully. Taking his question as a welcome, she sauntered into the room, carefully skirting the different work benches and tables he had set up in the large room, and stopped by the wall that held all of his equipment. Each piece of equipment was suspended neatly and in its place, like trained little soldiers awaiting their battle plans from their general.

He replaced the power saw and then turned to her, eyes hooded, and no smile on his face. "What can I do for you, Honey?"

"The question is, what can I do for you?" she replied back with a sassy grin. She reached up and brushed the sawdust off of his shoulders. He jerked back from her touch but she persisted until all of the residue was gone. She had decided to try and keep things light on the way over, hoping that the tactic would be unexpected and allow her to cut through his already forming defenses.

"You know, Honey, it's getting late. If I remember correctly, you are pulling the early shift at the hospital tomorrow." He hoped that would make her leave. He was in no mood for any kind of conversation, let alone the kind that Honey wanted to dish out.

"I'm off tomorrow, actually," she replied with an easy grin. His groan wasn't disguised well and brought an answering merry twinkle to her eye. She could tell the exact moment when he realized there would be no avoiding her. "I finished up my four-day stretch today so I have three days off and all the time in the world." She motioned to the piece of wood he had been cutting and invited him to continue. "So go on. I can wait all night, if you'd like me to."

He grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. He couldn't work now anyway. "Fine. Have it your way." He stomped his way over to the corner that was his office and sat down in his computer chair, intentionally taking the most comfortable chair he had in the place. "Please, won't you join me?" The sarcasm could have broken glass.

"Why, I'd be delighted to!" Her forced cheer grated on his nerves, just as she hoped it would. Playing the game, she took an inordinate amount of time settling herself on the plastic lawn chair. "This is so comfortable, Jim! And I really love what you have done with the place. So rugged and woodsy. Do you have anything to drink?"

His eyes narrowed, slitted, but he didn't say anything this time. Reaching into the small refrigerator behind him, he pulled out a bottle of water and unceremoniously tossed it to her. "Just be careful you don't spill." He gestured towards the computer, printer and fax machine on the desk in front of her.

The childish part of her wanted to pretend to do just that, just to get his goat, but she trampled down on that particular wish. She had more important matters to attend to. Instead, she took a deliberate sip and set the bottle down at her feet, top back on. Primly, she folded her hands in her lap and began, "I bet you are wondering why I am here."

"The thought did cross my mind," he replied drily and with a sharp, pointed look at the clock. "It is rather late for a visit."

"Oh, it's never too late for your sister to drop in!" she responded gaily. She leaned forward, her hands on the desk, and stated in a loud stage whisper, "I bet you can't guess where I just came from."

"Manor House?" he answered, knowing that he wouldn't get any peace until she had said hers. He eyed her warily, the way a mouse would a snake, and waited for her to strike.

"No, silly!" She batted his arm and giggled at his answer. It was hard work but she kept the silly smile on her face. "I've been to Mart and Di's." Wide-eyed, deceptively innocent hazel eyes watched him, carefully gauging his reaction. "Most of the Bob-Whites were there," she supplied helpfully when he merely sat up a little straighter and didn't respond. "Except for you, of course." She motioned to the work area behind her. "Had to burn the midnight oil, huh?"

"Something like that." He didn't add that he was only trying to keep himself busy and his thoughts at bay. He tried not to notice the way she deliberately didn't mention Trixie's name.

"You always work so hard," she complimented him sweetly and batted her eyelashes at him. She felt foolish but she forged bravely on. "Good for you, Jim. We did miss you, though. Mart and Di, Brian and I, Dan and..." The pause was intentional. She tapped a manicured finger to her chin and asked herself, keeping her eyes away from Jim, "Now, let me see. Who else was there?"

It took a full minute but he finally gave in and gritted out, "Trixie." The name felt like a combination of heaven and hell on his lips.

She gifted him with a beautiful smile, delighted that he had helped out. "Of course! How could I have forgotten her? Although it has been a while since we've seen her, you know, what with the whole fake death thing and all." She arched a brow, waiting to see how he would react.

He blew out a frustrated breath and leaned back in his chair, prepared to take the bull, or in this case, his sister, by the horns. "All right, Honey. Do your worst. You can stop all this frilly lady of the manor stuff. Even though you were born to it, it really doesn't suit you and it's getting old quick. Just hit me with it."

"You got it." Her mouth curved into a satisfied smile, amazed that he had given in so quickly. She had planned on acting the simpering debutante for a while longer. The Cheshire cat would have been jealous. She steepled her hands together under her chin, being sure to level her gaze on him. "Tell me why you pulled the disappearing act this evening, Jim. I think I've got it figured out but I want to hear you say it."

He picked up a pencil, absently rolled it around. He had known it would be coming. He'd only wished he had a good night's sleep before it had. Oh, who was he kidding? He wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Too many tortured images were floating around in his mind. "I saw the ring," he admitted in a low voice, being careful to keep his eyes on the floor.

"Yes, I thought so." She was prepared to give him no quarter or comfort until he had shared it all with you. She ruthlessly stomped down the sympathy that wanted to well up within her for her brother who was obviously in wallowing in his own pain and concentrated on the task at hand. "That would be why you didn't greet Trixie with Brian and Dan."

"When I first saw her, I couldn't move. It was like all the energy had been sucked out of me." He recalled the first feelings of euphoria, only to be quickly dashed with disappointment when his eyes fell on that thrice-damned ring. "And then I saw the wedding ring on her finger."

"Did you hear why she was wearing the ring?" Honey questioned him, pleased that her confrontation with him was going so well. It was good to have him opening up to her, even if she had practically pushed him to it. "Were you around when Trixie was sharing her story with us?"

"Of course," he bit out, uncomfortable in the line of questioning. Her unmoving gaze made him want to squirm. He clamped down on the urge and continued in the same low, gravely voice, "I heard her say that is was part of her cover, that she was masquerading as a widow in order to keep herself safe."

"Excellent. You must have been in the kitchen, correct?" At his nod, she resumed her attack. "That is exactly how I predicted things had gone for you. And then you heard the biggest bombshell of all. Trixie has a daughter."

He couldn't hide the answering pain in his eyes. Honey bit back a small gasp. It was clear to her that he hadn't considered the fact that Trixie's daughter was, in fact, his own. When he didn't say anything, merely looked at some nonexistent spot on the wall behind her, she tried a different tact and offered softly, "I met her little girl tonight at Mart and Di's."

Jim closed his eyes in resignation. He really didn't want to hear about it. "I bet she's beautiful." It hurt his throat to get the words out.

"Of course she is. She turned three about a month ago, in April." She threw that out there, hoping that Jim would do the mental math.

"Three?" he repeated obtusely. It still wasn't getting any clearer for him.

"Yes, three." Honey shook her ahead, amazed at the stupidity that had taken over her brother. She sat back in her chair, a dazed expression on her face. She couldn't help it. She had to wag her finger at him. "You know, for someone who aced biology and math in school and in college, you suck at biological math. Your teachers would be very disappointed."

Jim glared at her, unsure why she was insulting him. "What are you talking about?"

"Three years old," she stated, counting her fingers for good measure in case he hadn't gotten the point. "One, two, three. Get it? It's a simple number. Most preschoolers can count to it." When his glare only intensified, she gave up and tried a different route. "Trixie's been gone for what, nearly four years?"

"Three years, nine months, and twenty two days," he responded, rubbing a weary hand over his face. He knew the exact amount of days. It would have surprised him to know that Trixie kept track, too. "That comes out to one thousand, three hundred, and ninety days."

"You do know your math!" She hid her concern behind her brazen praise. With a small sigh, she continued, "Well, let's see then. If Lexie was born in April..."

His head whipped around. He hadn't heard that name before. "Lexie?" he rasped out.

"That is Trixie's little girl's name." She saw a small ray of hope flicker in her brother's eyes. Maybe he wasn't as dense on the matter as she thought. "Well, we're back to birthdates, right? I'll do some mental math since biological math is not your strongest subject. Lexie was born the April after Trixie disappeared. If we go back nine months...that would be March, February, January, December, November, October, September, August...ah, July!" She grinned triumphantly at her brother. "It seems to me that little Lexie would have to have been conceived in late July of that year. I would have been in Europe with our parents and it would have been right before we started back to college." She tapped her polished fingernail on the desk. "Now I wonder who Trixie would have been with at that time..."

The hope broke through the fog that had surrounded his brain. "She's mine?" he managed to get out past the sudden large lump in his throat.

Honey held up her hand, continued on as if she hadn't heard him. "I only got to play with her for a little bit this evening. It was almost bedtime by the time I got over to the house. She has beautiful blonde curls, the cutest little dimples." She brought her eyes back to her brother's, leveled them on him like twin dueling pistols. "And the biggest, brightest, emerald green eyes you have ever seen."

And he felt foolish for the thoughts that had rampaged through him. He dropped his head in his hands. "Oh, good Lord," he managed to get out.

Honey finally took pity on him. She scooted her chair around the desk and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Her voice was quiet as she offered, "Her name is Alexis Kathryn, called Lexie for short. Trixie gave her Kathryn in honor of your mother." She laid her head on his shoulder.

He let the news sink in, thinking of a little girl slumbering only a mile or so away. His little girl. And then he thought of the mother. An ugly grimace crossed his face. He hadn't handled things well. She had every right to despise him. "She must hate me," he whispered in growing horror.

Honey smiled up at him, fresh tears glinting in her eyes. "No, not at all, Jim. I made her talk about it, too, you see. We pieced together the evening very quickly and came up with your reactions. We were very accurate, of course. There's nothing quite like the former Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency in action." She patted herself on the back and then added, a little apologetically, "I'm sorry but I had to tell her how much her 'death' affected you, too. I'm sure you would rather have kept it private or told her yourself. She knows how much it hurt you, what it cost you. Once I did that, I think she understood where you were coming from and why you reacted the way that you did. She's not mad at you and she certainly doesn't hate you."

"Thank you, I guess." His mind was still having a hard time grasping it. "So, when she went into the Program, she was pregnant. She had to go through all of that on her own, plus have a baby by herself." The magnitude of it hit him like a tone of well-placed bricks.

"I knew she was pregnant," Honey told him softly. She touched his hand, made him jump, and then she admitted, "Trixie told me about the condom. That day she left us I made her take a test. You don't need me to tell you but it was positive."

"We would have been married in September," he recalled wistfully. "If none of this had happened, we would have been together through it all." He ran his hands through his hair, sending the red locks out in different directions.

"Well, we can't change the past or what fate or destiny has in store for us," Honey replied sagely. "But we can make sure the future moves in the right direction. I can tell you that Trixie is going to bring Lexie to meet both sets of grandparents tomorrow. She's starting at Crabapple Farm and then heading up to the Manor House. She'll stop here late tomorrow afternoon. You can have them over for dinner."

God, but he liked the sound of that. "Tomorrow?" he repeated.

"See, Trixie doesn't hate you." Honey reached into her purse and pulled out a wallet-sized picture. "This is for you. I stole it from Trixie's purse." She laid it face down on the desk and gave her brother a great big hug.

"Thank you, Honey," he murmured in her ear. He eyed the picture but decided to wait until he was alone to look at it. "You have no idea what you have done for me."

"I think I do," she mumbled back, pleased with her evening's work. Trixie and Jim had a bit of a road ahead of them but Honey was confident she had set both of them on the right path. They would travel it together. "Have a good night!" With a whirl she was gone.

The room seemed empty after she left. And the picture on the desk seemed to be calling out to him. His fingers trembled a bit as he reached for it and he needed a moment to compose himself. Turning it over gingerly, he looked and promptly fell in love. It must have been her latest birthday picture. April, Honey had said. Lexie was dressed in a fancy blue dress, white tights, and gleaming black shoes. Her hair was piled high up on her head, tied with a matching blue bow that had tilted to the side. A few tendrils escaped to caress her cheeks and her shoulders. A large smile adorned her cherubic face. And the eyes. The green eyes Honey spoke about stared back at him, lively and full of mischief. He studied the little girl for a long time, taking in all the details, and felt a healing steal over his rather jagged heart. He didn't feel the answering wide smile that was on his face.


	26. Chapter 26

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Six

Clouds dotted the morning sky, hiding the blue from view and the warm rays of the sun. Trixie pulled her sweatshirt around her shoulders. There was a chilly bite to the air. "Maybe it will rain today," Trixie shared with Lexie as she unbuckled her from her carseat.

Lexie looked up at the sky. "I like rain." She was dressed in blue jeans and a purple sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, the curls tamed for the moment. Disney Princess sneakers were on her feet and her ever-favorite Cinderella doll was held in her hands. "I like to jump in the puddles."

And she did that quite frequently. "I know you do." Trixie grinned back at her daughter and, with Sadie in hand, turned to the white farmhouse. "This is Crabapple Farm. It's where I grew up. Are you ready to go in and meet your grandparents?"

"I've always wanted gran'parents," she said as she skipped along, pretending to jump in mud puddles that weren't even there. "And now I have four of them!"

Trixie laughed and led her up the wide front porch steps. She watched as Lexie traveled up slowly, carefully holding onto the railing as she made her ascent. Lexie had inherited her penchant for clumsiness and took pains whenever possible to go slow. Sadie waited at the bottom, tail wagging, until the three year old made it safely to the top. Then she bounded up after them.

A large red dog lifted his head from the porch. Gray mixed with the red fur. He took one look at Trixie and jumped up, as spry as he had when he was a puppy. He had missed her yesterday, having been regulated to the doghouse in the backyard due to the large amount of guests in and around the house. He ran straight at her, tail wagging, and put his large paws on her chest. "Good boy," Trixie said back, not correcting him for the jump. She buried her face in his silky fur. "I've missed you too, Reddy."

Lexie tugged at her shirt. "Who is this, Mommy?"

"This is Reddy. He's my dog from when I was a little girl." His mouth pulled back into a big grin as if he understood exactly what Trixie was saying. "Reddy, this is Lexie." She carefully set his front paws back down on the porch.

Lexie approached him warily. She reached for him, stopped, and then reached out again. Tentatively she stroked his soft fur and giggled when he leaned over and licked her cheek. Her smile was quick and bright. "Oh, he likes me, Mommy!"

"He loves all kids." Trixie gave Sadie's leash a gentle tug and brought the curious lab forward. She watched the two dogs carefully as she introduced them. Reddy let out one bark on principle and then stopped, sure that he had gained top dog status, while Sadie merely cocked an eye at him and sat perfectly still. "And this is Sadie." She untied Sadie's leash and lead the two of them back down the porch and into the yard. She made sure the gate was closed and then let the dogs run.

"He moves pretty well for an older dog," Trixie commented as Reddy and Sadie ran together like they were the best of friends, their tails flying behind them like regal flags.

"He has always liked other dogs," Moms said from the doorway, her crisp white apron over her clothes. She looked at the little girl on her front porch and felt her heart turn over. It was like looking into the past. She looked so much like Trixie, except for the eyes. "Here is Lexie," she greeted her with a smile. She reached down and gently took the girl's hand. "I'm Grandmoms. Please, come inside. We're just about to have breakfast."

Lexie threw her mom a furtive glance but obediently followed her grandmother. Trixie took the steps two at a time, nearly tripped and righted herself, and then was in the house, slamming the door behind her. She hadn't taken the time to inspect the house yesterday. It had been crawling with people. She took a moment now, noticing that her father's beloved old recliner had been replaced with a brand new one. Leather, from the looks of it. She gave a nod of approval. She saw the familiar knickknacks and curios and felt a curious stab of longing for the days when it had been her job to dust them. Then she followed the murmuring voices back into the comfortable kitchen.

It wasn't quite the chaos that it used to be. Down two growing boys made it a little easier for her mother to handle. Trixie got out of the way and slipped into her old spot at the table. She pulled a wide-eyed Lexie into the seat next to her. "How do you like it here?" she whispered to her.

"It's awful noisy," Lexie whispered back. She watched as Grandmoms and Grandpa worked together to get the scrambled eggs, pancakes, and toast together, laughing the entire time. Bobby was working hard on pulling out the syrup, juices and the milk from the refrigerator. "It's not as quiet as our kitchen at home."

"It used to be a lot noisier," Trixie told her solemnly, ignoring Lexie's reference to their house in Connecticut. She didn't think Lexie was ready to hear that they weren't moving back. She wanted to get her acclimated to her new surroundings before she told her that. "When your Uncle Brian and Uncle Mart lived here, it was extra loud."

"Don't let her fool you," Bobby said as he placed the syrup, juice and milk cartons on the table. Satisfied that his job was done, he took a seat right next to his niece, and shook a finger at his sister. "Your mom over there was always the loudest one of all."

Trixie smirked at him and gave a dismayed snort. "That's not true, Bobby. If anyone of us was the loudest, it had to be Mart. Moms and Daddy could never shut him up. In fact, I doubt even Di can. He loves to talk."

Bobby considered and smiled. "You may be right there." He leaned forward and chucked Lexie under the chin. She gave a chortle in response. "Do you know where the eggs come from?" He pointed to the scrambled eggs that her grandmother was placing in a ceramic serving bowl.

She gave him a lopsided grin that looked suspiciously like her father's and decreed triumphantly, "Chickens." She took the small cup of milk her mother offered her and took a sip, wiping the milk moustache off with the back of her hand to the amusement of the adults in the room.

"We have chickens outside,"he told her, looking straight into her mesmerized eyes. All little kids liked animals. He had a feeling this one would enjoy helping him out. "If you want, you can help me feed them after breakfast."

Trixie had to grin at the way Bobby was trying to get Lexie to help him with his chores. "Good job, Bobby," she told him over Lexie's head, who was jumping up and down with glee at the prospect of helping her Uncle Bobby. Trixie was just able to save the glass of milk before it spilled. Her father applauded her efforts. "I seem to remember using a trick like that when you were a little younger. I don't think it worked all that much, though. You figured out pretty quick that dusting wasn't a lot of fun."

"And Mart and Brian tried it on you, too," Peter broke in with a chuckle. He gave a kiss to his girls' foreheads and then took his seat at the head of the table. It gave him great pleasure to have so much of his family at the table for breakfast. "Only you were too smart to fall for it."

Moms joined them next. She put the eggs and waffles down on the table. "What a wonderful way to start the day!" she said cheerfully, voicing her husband's thoughts, and she gracefully sat down. Her smiling eyes traveled over her daughter, her granddaughter, and her son, until they landed on her husband. Both smiled at each other in perfect accord.

After fixing their plates, Trixie announced casually to her parents, "I have our things out in the car, if that's okay with you. I thought Lexie and I could stay in my room for awhile."

Peter and Helen exchanged quick, worried glances. The unspoken question about Jim hung in the air but neither one asked it. "Of course, dear," her mother responded happily and with meaning. "We'd love to have you stay here, for as long as you want."

Trixie nodded her thanks and got set to enjoy a typically loud Belden family breakfast. And it was loud and crazy, even without the older brothers there. Lexie reigned supreme, trying to do anything possible to get her family to laugh at her. She could only imagine what the holidays would bring. After breakfast, she helped wash the dishes while Bobby and her father took Lexie out to feed the chickens. Her childlike giggles floated back to them on the breeze while the men introduced her to the birds.

"She's a lovely girl," her mom said, taking a wet plate and drying it. Her eyes twinkled at the sound of her husband and son laughing with her granddaughter. "You should be proud of yourself. It couldn't have been easy, doing it on your own. You've done a wonderful job with her."

Trixie leaned in and pressed a swift kiss to her mother's cheek. "Thanks, Moms. I learned from the best."

Helen smiled at that. She picked up a glass and spent an overly long amount of time drying it. Trixie paused in her endeavor, hands deep in the sudsy water, and asked, her eyebrows pulled together, puzzled, "Moms? Is everything okay?" Her mother seemed to be preoccupied.

"Oh, just woolgathering, dear!" She jumped to attention and put the glass away. Should she broach the subject? She didn't know if she should and then...she decided she really didn't have a choice. "Oh, Trixie!" she laughed at her herself and motioned towards the table. "Let's take a break from the dishes and have a seat at the table."

Curious, she dried her hands and followed her mom. She couldn't ever remember her mom taking a break from the chores before. She hated to leave dirty dishes in the sink. "What is it, Moms? Is everything okay?" Trixie sat down on her recently vacated seat.

Helen reached across the table and covered Trixie's hands."Everything is fine, dear," she laughed again, nervous on how to begin, and worried Trixie some more. "Well, I guess the only way to do it is just to do it!" She leaned her elbows on the wide table and took deep, fortifying breath. "I don't think there's any secret on who Lexie's father is," she began earnestly.

That damn pink color was back. Trixie suddenly found the red and white striped placemat very interesting and played with its fringes. She felt like she was fourteen years old again. "No," she admitted slowly, "I don't think there's any question about that."

"Jim, of course," her mother supplied for her. She hemmed and hawed a bit but then continued on a rush, "Your father and I talked a bit about this last night, after everyone headed over to Mart's house. We were just wondering where you two stand. We didn't see Jim yesterday. Was he here? Did you get a chance to talk to him? Does he know about Lexie? More importantly, does he know that he's her father? What's he going to do about it? These are some important questions, Trixie."

Trixie bit her lip and slowly brought her eyes up to her mother's. "Lexie and I are heading up to Ten Acres after we visit the Wheelers," she shared, hoping that would appease her, but didn't answer a single question. How could she? She hadn't had a chance to talk to him yet.

"Well, that's good, then." Helen sat back, pleased, and jumped to the only logical conclusion, although it was very wrong. "He knows you are alive and he knows about Lexie. I'll bet he was ecstatic to find out about her. Were you able to talk to him yesterday?"

"No," Trixie admitted slowly and a little painfully. She drummed her hands on the table, dreading the conversation. "No, I never had a chance to see him here or at Mart's house. Honey told him, though. I know she did. She set up our visit for this evening."

She released a small humph of confusion. The pieces didn't fit together. "That doesn't seem quite right, Trixie. You mean you haven't spoken yet to Jim Frayne? Jim Frayne? The boy that's always been crazy about you? You haven't talked to him yet?"

"There was a little confusion yesterday," Trixie said with a small, helpless laugh. She rolled a shoulder and then continued, "Jim got a little confused by my story. You see, he thought I was married. The ring threw him off, I guess. And then he didn't think he was Lexie's father. It wasn't really the right time for me to be crystal clear on that subject. I've never been really good with crowds and, well, that's a very private matter. He was kind of all mixed up in his own emotions and not thinking straight. At least, that's what Honey told me when she called this morning. She went to see him last night."

"That's fair enough. Jim went through a very rough patch there. I'm still not sure if he has completely made it out yet." She remembered in vivid detail how Jim had reacted to Trixie's untimely demise. It seemed entirely plausible that he would have a hard time overlooking a wedding ring on his fiancee's finger or believing Trixie had given birth to his daughter during that time. "We'll keep this between ourselves, though. I'm not sure if your father would be as understanding. Jim's on his list right now, anyway."

"Really? Why?" Trixie couldn't imagine why. Her father had always liked Jim.

"Maybe for impregnating his only daughter?" Helen shook her head as Trixie's face flamed again. "I tried to tell him that it takes two to tango but it would probably be a good idea if he doesn't show up here for a day or two. Jim Frayne is not his favorite person right now."

"Jim and I would have gotten married," she explained quickly, rushing to his defense. "We had it all set for September, if I had been pregnant, which in fact I was. Oh, but then you know what happened, so we never had the chance to get married. But I know we would have, if I had never seen that murder." Her words came out on a tumble.

Helen thought it was very telling that her daughter jumped so quickly to Jim's defense. She was still in love with him. After all this time and separation, she still loved him. And it was clear to her that Jim had always thought the sun rose and set on her daughter, even if he was a little mixed up right now. That made her heart feel lighter, happier, and younger. She could already picture the wedding. It would take place here, in the old orchard. Trixie could wear her wedding dress if she wanted to. And Lexie would be the flower girl. That settled, she sat back in her chair and prepared herself to smooth any of Peter's ruffled feathers over the situation. She would do anything in her power to help speed things along.

Unaware of the plans her mother had made, Trixie jumped up from the chair with a small shout. "I forgot I have something for you and Dad in the car!" She ran out of the house and was back in a minute, puffing slightly with the exertion. She carried a large brown bag in her hands.

Interested, Helen leaned forward. "What is this, dear?"

Trixie brought out the assortment of scrapbooks and photo albums and spread them across the table. "I know that you and Dad weren't able to take part in Lexie's little life up until now so I made albums and scrapbooks for you. I thought that if I ever could reclaim my life, you would like to have them."

Unbelievably touched, Helen reached forward and cradled an album with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too bounding across the light green cover to her chest. "This is perfect, Trixie," she crooned, holding the album as if it was the greatest treasure on earth. To her, it was. "Thank you."

"It's okay to look, Moms," Trixie urged her mom on.

Helen slowly opened the book. A small baby in a pink onesie stared back at her, a smattering of silky golden curls covering her small head. Her eyes were still in the blue family but Helen could see the green starting to take over. "Lexie. I know I've said it before but I'll say it again. She's so beautiful, Trixie."

"I think she's pretty special, too." Trixie smiled as her mom ohhed and ahhed over the pictures, taking the time to look at each one and comment on it. While she was doing that, Trixie reached back into the bag and pulled out a ziploc bag filled with small dvd cases. "I also copied videos for you, too. Then you and Dad can really see how Lexie has changed and developed."

"What a present!" Helen gave her daughter a watery smile. "Thank you so much, Trixie. Your father is going to love it, too. We'll spend the rest of the day pouring over them."

Trixie's blush was back. "I made a set for the Wheelers and for Jim, too," she added. "That way everyone has a little bit of Lexie."

"When are you expected at the Wheelers?" her mom questioned as her fingers eagerly flipped through the photo albums and scrapbooks.

Trixie turned back to the sink. "Around eleven, I guess. Then we'll head over to Ten Acres and we'll be back here by bedtime." She looked out the kitchen window and laughed at the sight of her brother and father chasing Lexie around the yard. Lexie was squealing and enjoying every minute of it. "This is so good for her," Trixie mumbled to herself. "She needs our family as much as I do."


	27. Chapter 27

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The puffy gray clouds had taken over the sky and the promise of a spring rain was in the air. Trixie looked up and shivered as a cool breeze blew through the trees. It didn't look like a good day to walk up to the Manor House, although she knew that Lexie would have enjoyed that. "Come on, Lex!" she sang out happily and opened the car door. "Let's get it in the car. It's time for another visit."

"Visiting is fun! Do we get to meet Nana and Papa now?" Those were the names Madeleine and Matthew had requested the evening before. They had taken it at face value that Lexie was their granddaughter, had never even asked her the infamous question, and had made the request and extended the luncheon invitation in the same breath. Their openness had made Trixie smile unabashedly.

"Yes, it's off to Manor House." Trixie shooed her into the car and made sure she was safe and sound. "The Manor House is where your Aunt Honey and your daddy grew up." She stuttered over the word, _daddy_, caught herself and continued on. Lexie hadn't asked too many questions about her father yet. She had too many new and fascinating people to meet. But Trixie knew they would be coming soon. She could feel it. She only hoped she would be able to handle them carefully. She concentrated on discussing the Manor House instead. It was easier. "It's a really big house and they have horses there. I used to ride horses all the time with your Aunt Honey."

It didn't take a moment before she burst out with a squeal that should have broken the sound barrier. "I like horses. I love horses! I'd like to ride a horse!"

"You like just about everything." Trixie smiled at her little girl and drove the car the little way to Manor House. It wasn't long before they were trudging up the steep hill and parking behind the other vehicles in the driveway. She informed her as she took her out of the carseat again, "Your Aunt Honey should be home, too. She doesn't have to work today. Your Uncle Brian won't be here, though. He's at the hospital."

They were out of the car and at the front steps just as the first fat raindrops fell to the ground. "Oh, it is raining today! You were right." Lexie yelled in delight. She opened her mouth and tried to catch a few of the oversized drops in her mouth.

"It's not snowflakes, silly," Trixie joked with her. She lifted her hand to ring the doorbell but the door was opened before she could announce their arrival.

Madeleine Wheeler, who always looked so cool and serene, hardly resembled herself. Physically, she looked normal. Her hair was in perfect order, artfully pulled back with a large clip. Her blush colored sweater set was a perfect match for her gray slacks. Her gray shoes were tidy and accentuated her trim feet. But her attitude was so different. There was an aura of excitement about her that Trixie had never seen before. "Trixie!" she gushed out and pulled her in. Then she turned to Lexie and gathered the little girl in her arms. "And this is Lexie. I've been waiting for you to get here for ages!" Lexie chortled softly but allowed herself to be enveloped in the warm hug. She liked her Nana, she decided instantly. She really liked the way her Nana smelled. It reminded her of the flower garden she had planted with her mother earlier in the spring.

"Hello, Mrs. Wheeler," Trixie greeted her shyly. She had always stood a little in awe of her best friend and fiancé's mother. She shrugged out of her sweatshirt and took off Lexie's windbreaker. Reaching behind her, she hung them on the stand that was always standing discreetly besides the door. "I think we're a little early. I wanted to beat the rain."

"Maddy's been waiting for you for the past hour," Matthew's loud voice boomed out from behind them. He strode purposefully towards the group gathered in the doorway and picked the girl up without preamble. He tossed her in the air for good measure, which had Trixie holding her breath and Lexie chortling gleefully. "Hmm, let's get a good look at the little one." He held her above his head and studied her closely.

Lexie giggled as her grandfather stopped tossing her in the air and found several ticklish spots. "That tickles, Papa," she told him. She poked him in the nose, which only made him laugh harder.

"Of course it does. Papa always knows all the good spots." He settled her on his shoulders and walked her towards the dining room.

"She is enchanting, Trixie." Madeleine turned to the younger woman, ready to gush on some more about the little angle but stopped herself. The young woman stared after her husband with a blank look on her face. She laid a comforting hand on her arm. "Don't worry. He'll bring her back."

"He's already wrapped around her little finger. How did she do that so quickly?" Trixie shook her head, sending her curls bouncing. It amazed her to see a big bear of a man fall for a little slip of a girl that quickly. It was still difficult to get used to. She had been Lexie's one and only for three years. It was hard for her to acclimate herself to the fact that there were many others willing to help, who wanted to spend as much time with her as her mother did. She would have to get better at sharing. "Is it time for lunch yet? I think he headed that way." They could hear more giggles floating back to them from the dining room.

Madeleine waved an aristocratic hand, the overhead lighting catching the sparkle of the diamonds on her fingers. "We can eat. I asked Cook to prepare a child's favorite food. We're having hotdogs and macaroni and cheese." She was excited about the meal.

Trixie couldn't help herself. She laughed, absolutely delighted. Such an undignified meal being served in the Wheeler's formal dining room. She loved it. It couldn't have been better. "Lexie will love it, Mrs. Wheeler. Those are two of her most favorite things," she assured her quickly.

"I'm glad to hear that. I was told by Cook that all children love hotdogs and macaroni and cheese." Madeleine took Trixie's arm. They stopped at the edge of the dining room, where the chortles were increasing in volume and in delirium. It was obvious that Matthew Wheeler was having the time of his life with his granddaughter. She turned to the younger woman on the threshold of the elegant room and brought up a subject that needled her. "And, Trixie, I think you'd better start calling me Madeleine or Maddy instead of Mrs. Wheeler. That seems to be a habit of yours I've always had trouble breaking."

"Yes, you're right. Maddy." It was hard for her to do it, had always been hard for her to say it, but she figured the name would roll off her tongue easier with time. If not, she would do her best to try to call her Nana.

"You're the mother of my first grandchild, the fiancée of my son." She spoke the last with conviction, in case Trixie didn't believe it. She didn't look to see how Trixie took that proclamation. "You definitely have the right to call me by my first name." She sailed on ahead into the room, leaving the younger woman behind, her mouth hanging open.

Trixie followed a little closer, her brain working overtime. She agreed with the mother of her first grandchild. The fiancée of her son? There wasn't anything else she would like to be, unless it was wife, but she wasn't so sure about that. She decided with a fatalistic shrug she would find out where she stood in a few short hours.

Forgetting decorum, Honey dashed down the stairs. "I think I heard our guests!" she called out from the bottom of the stairway and ran into the room. She grabbed Trixie's hand and pulled her closer. Her gaze swept her parents fussing over Lexie, who was eating it up like a little queen."It's so exciting to have you over for lunch. I can't remember the last time you were here."

"Me neither," Trixie responded quietly. She pointed her finger where Honey's parents were fawning over Lexie. She would never have imagined that those two would be so baby crazy. "Look at that, would you? Lexie has them eating out of the palm of her hand."

"You should see the playroom they've started for her," Honey whispered behind her hand. "The plan is to take Lexie up there after lunch. You'll be amazed at what my mother has managed to do in less than twenty-four hours. It is already halfway stuffed with all sorts of toys that a little girl will love. She is over the moon about having a granddaughter."

"It's hard for me to let go, though," Trixie admitted as the Wheelers continued to entertain Lexie and vice versa. "I've been her only person for so long. I hate to admit it but it's a little hard to share."

Honey tucked her arm underneath hers and gave it a friendly squeeze. "We'll make it easy. Mom!" she sang out and waited for Madeleine to look at her.

"Yes, Honey?" Madeleine asked. She smoothed a hand over her hair and kept one eye on the girl sitting on her Papa's lap. She didn't want to let the little one out of her sight. They had a lot of lost time to make up for.

Honey gave her a gracious smile and then said, "I'm going to steal Trixie away for a moment. We'll be back for lunch in a bit."

Madeleine waved her away, unconcerned, and turned back to her favorite girl. "We've got Lexie occupied. Go, have fun, Honey and Trixie. We'll see you back here soon enough."

"And that's how easy it is," Honey declared with a triumphant grin. She pulled an astounded Trixie into the hall and into her father's library. She closed the door with a resounding click. "You'll have to get used to it, Trixie. There are going to be a lot of people who will want to get their hands on Lexie," she advised her softly.

"It's hard but it's also exciting." Trixie flopped down on the dark green leather sofa. Her gaze roamed the masculine room. She always found this room comforting, with its deep browns and greens. Rows upon rows upon rows of books were displayed in bookcases that ran from the top of the ceiling to the bottom of the floor. She hadn't borrowed many of the books from the shelves but she had spent a lot of time during her homework in this room. It was one of her favorites in the Manor House. "She loves the attention. She was never very shy to begin with but I can really see her coming out of her shell, what little one she had."

"I'll bet she's looking forward to meeting her father." Honey introduced the topic sweetly and saw the flinch that Trixie tried to disguise. "You'll be going there next, right?"

Trixie straightened up. It was the third time Jim had been brought up to her. First her mother, then Madeleine, and now Honey. She didn't seem to be able to escape from it. Not that she could even if she wanted to. "Yes. That is the plan," she answered carefully.

"I was only able to give you a brief account of my visit with him last night," Honey surged on, tactlessly ignoring how the topic was making her friend uncomfortable. She wasn't going to let either one of them alone, not until they were back together. "So I can rectify that right now." She sat on the small table in front of the sofa, her hands spread out on either side of her.

Trixie scooted into the corner of the sofa, wondering why she suddenly felt cornered. "There is more, Honey?" she inquired, a little surprised. She thought she had been given a good handle on the situation earlier. "You already told me that he accepts the fact that he's Lexie's father and that he wants us to meet him today. What else could there be?" She arched an eyebrow at her friend.

"Oh, Trixie, you have no idea. But then Jim didn't really, either." She shook her head sorrowfully and bit back a small sigh. She picked her words carefully, wanting to say it just right. "I want you to be prepared for your meeting. It's only a few hours away. You'll have Lexie as a buffer but you need to know how he is really feeling."

She folded her hands to keep them still and tucked her legs under her knees. The corner of the sofa wasn't giving her the safety she thought it would. "I'm listening, Honey," she said quietly.

The truth. Honey wasn't going to spare Jim either. "He felt awful about his reaction at Crabapple Farm yesterday, about not coming right out to meet her and his misunderstandings. Stupid and knee-jerk. He knows that and accepts it as his fault. You should have seen his face when he realized that he was Lexie's father, Trixie." Honey closed her eyes briefly. The look on his face had haunted her through the night. She hoped to never see it on his face again. It had been full of hope but tinged with the darker emotions of guilt, despair, and some self-loathing directed at himself. "He thought you would hate him."

She drew back as if she had been struck. Her eyes widened with shock and lips slackened. It took her a moment to even get the word out. It was so foreign to her and certainly one she would never use to describe one James Winthrop Frayne, the II. "Hate Jim? I could never hate him. Never, Honey." Love him madly was a more apt term.

It was the reaction she had expected to see. "I know that, Trixie. In fact, I told him that. But I don't know if he fully believes it." Honey gave her head a quick shake."Well, he's still dealing with a lot of guilt over not seeing himself as Lexie's father right away and missing out on your reunion with everyone. Then there's the added guilt of not being there for you when you were pregnant and Lexie was born. Basically, he's a bit of a mess right now."

"There's nothing he could have done about that," Trixie declared insistently, astounded by the thoughts and feelings that were floating around in his mind. She didn't hold a grudge against him. For anything. And she wasn't angry with him or disappointed in him. If anything, she felt her own guilt for having to stay away from him for so long, especially because she had kept his own daughter from him. Her gaze narrowed, sharpened. "I don't blame him for not being there. That's not even a consideration. He didn't have a choice in the matter. Neither did I."

"I want you to be aware of all these messy emotions," Honey thoughtfully shared with her. She reached forward and clasped Trixie's suddenly cold hands. "I want you to think about what I've told you, to try and tread a little carefully with him. I think it will help you understand him better and it will help you both achieve some much-needed peace."

"You make a lot of sense, Honey Belden." Trixie fingered the cuff of her long-sleeved shirt and then darted a glance at her best friend. Maybe she'd be crossing the line that Honey had stood on for many years, the line between being a best friend to Trixie and a sister to Jim, but she thought she'd ask it anyway. She took a breath and then said in a fragile tone that was so against her strong personality it made Honey want to weep, "A few minutes ago your mother referred to me as Jim's fiancée. Is that crazy or what?"

No, it was perfect and just the way it should be. Honey didn't voice her opinions right away. She saw the longing in her friend's eyes and felt a spear of sorrow shoot through her. They had a mess to sort through but she would happily lay down her money on Trixie and Jim. She believed with her whole heart it would be the two of them together in the end. "No, it's not crazy. It's exactly how my parents see you, how I see you. And, unless I miss my guess, it's how Jim sees you, too."


	28. Chapter 28

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The car traveled through the softly falling rain. Lexie looked out the window, watching the raindrops hit the window and splatter. Trixie refused to think about the next visit. Instead, she thought about their visit with the Wheelers and how much fun it had been. Lexie had loved her playroom. She had spent almost two full hours in there until she had tired herself out. Then she had curled up on the ultra feminine bed with fluffy white sheets and had taken a refreshing nap, much to Trixie's relief. Lexie was not easy when she missed her nap.

Trixie had used that time to get her gifts out for the Wheelers. Madeleine had cried when she had given her the bag full of photo albums, scrapbooks and home movies to watch. She had thrown herself into Trixie's arms and had sobbed her gratitude, letting Trixie see how much she appreciated the gesture. She could picture Madeleine, Matthew and Honey seated in the dining room, albums and scrapbooks spread across the wide expanse of the table, and devouring them as fast as they could.

She passed the turn to Crabapple Farm. The weaker part of her wanted to turn in there, to put this next visit off for a few days at least. But the warrior within her wouldn't give in. Although her palms started to sweat and her heart started to pound so loudly that she thought Lexie could hear it, she stayed the course set for her. The turn to Ten Acres was next. She flicked on her blinker and slowly guided the car up the driveway. The butterflies were back, tenfold, and were swarming around in her stomach.

"We're going to meet your daddy in a moment," she called back, hoping her voice didn't waver too much. She tried again and was happier with the results. "His house is right at the top of the hill."

Lexie liked the thought of that. In her still developing mind, she had often wondered why the other children at her school had fathers who dropped them off or picked them up. It had always been just her mother. Somehow it hadn't seemed fair but she could never think of how to explain it to her mother. "I'm gonna like Daddy," she breathed out loud, already deciding on the fact. She had seen his picture. She knew he had friendly eyes.

"Yes, sweetie, you are." She felt a small tear leak out of her eye and hastily brushed it away. She was glad that Lexie was able to meet her father. It had always bothered her that she had been forced into circumstances that made her deny Lexie her father and vice versa. Now that wrong could be put to right.

She stopped the car and quickly unclasped Lexie from her carseat. "Hold your head into me," she ordered her. "I don't want you to get soaked." Then she carried her in her arms and ran to the porch, dodging the rapidly falling raindrops the entire way. Her steps quickened as the rain came down harder.

Jim watched them from the porch. He had been restless all day, unable to focus on his work or do to anything remotely constructive. He had been pacing the living room for the past hour, checking the window, and waiting for the car the pull up in his driveway. When it finally did, the relief was immense. He heard the giggles as they raced through the rain. Mother's and daughter's mixed together in perfect harmony. A melodious sound. Their heads were bowed against the rain, the little girl in her mother's arms, her head cradled against the rain. He watched Trixie hungrily as she pounded up the steps with her boundless energy.

She was brought up short at the top of the steps, the rain at her back and the porch roof protecting them from the moisture. She felt his presence before she saw him. Her eyes took in his dark green Henley shirt, stared at the three brown buttons laying in neat row down his chest as if they were most fascinating things in the world. He's right in front of me, he's right in front of me, ran like a crazed mantra through her mind. All thoughts left her, all emotions faded away. All she could think of was Jim. She could smell his cologne. He was close enough to touch. Her fingers flexed reflexively before she dropped them to her side.

All he could see was the top of her bent head. Her hair was curling more riotously than normal with the moisture and carried the smell of the sweet spring rain. He wanted to look her in the eyes, to feast on her, to hold her and to never let her go, and to let her know that it would all be okay. They stood, a frozen tableau, mere inches from each other, and neither knowing what the hell they should do next.

Lexie made the ultimate decision. She chose that moment to insinuate herself into the situation. Blissfully unaware of the undercurrents of tension and longing running like a raging river between her mother and father, she lifted her face from her mother's chest and looked her father in the eyes for the first time. Emerald green to emerald green. It was like reaching the end of a circle. "It is you!" she chirped out excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Mommy told me we were coming to see you."

The arms went out to him freely and without any thought of rejection. Jim automatically caught them and held his girl for the first time, settling her on his hip with an ease that came naturally to him. The feeling was overwhelming, would have brought a weaker man to his knees. He ran a hand over her hair, loving the soft curls under his touch, and slowly tugged on one, the way he had loved to do to her mother. "It is you," he repeated her words back to her, utterly charmed and tumbling headlong into the promise of the love from the picture Honey had given him. The real thing was so much better than the picture. "Your Mommy was right."

Spell broken, Trixie lifted her head, her blue eyes wide with apprehension and expectation. She saw the twin profiles, her baby's and Jim's, as they looked at each other for the first time. The sight was so sweet it nearly made her knees buckle. She held onto the porch railing to steady herself. She knew it was forever ingrained in her heart. There was not a doubt in her mind that Jim loved his little girl.

Jim caught the movement and turned his head slightly. He met the bright blue eyes that had haunted his nights for the past few years and he felt all of his uncertainty slip away. She was here. She was alive. And she was a gift to be treasured. He had a second chance, though only God knew why he deserved one, and he'd be damned if he lost out on it. His hand moved of its own accord, before he even knew that he had made the command. He tenderly cupped her cheek, absolutely loving the feel of her soft skin in his hand.

A small deep sigh of contentment and she closed her eyes. She turned her cheek into his hand and brought her own hand up to cover his hand. "Jim," she finally managed to get out, her breath low and raspy and the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"That's Daddy," Lexie insisted with childlike determination. She turned in his arms and pointed in the direction of the house, breaking the moment. "Let's go see your house, Daddy. Mommy says it's really nice."

He held onto her elbow and brought her into the house. He flicked on the light, wondering how she would feel about the house she had helped plan out. Trixie's eyes roved over the room, noticing the finishing touches that had not been there the last time she had stepped foot in the house. The walls had been painted. The hardwood floors gleamed in the light. The house was gorgeous except it was missing a few very important touches. There were no pictures or personal affects, very little furniture. There was an old recliner and set of four plastic lawn chairs arranged around the same crate Dan had sat on so long ago, the day of her funeral. A small television set perched on it.

"I think we may need to do a little work here," she declared after a moment of silence.

Jim felt a small grin tug at his lips. "It's a little sparse but it serves it's purpose." He set Lexie down and invited her to explore. "I think I'll need your expertise on this, Lexie." The name came easily off of his lips and filled him with a peace he had been missing for a long time.

She jumped up and down, liking the big space to roam around in. "Oh, this is wonderful!" She clapped her hands together and started poking her head around. She found the staircase right away and looked back for permission. As curious as her mom, she wanted to know what the upstairs was like.

Trixie watched as Jim went to their daughter and led her up the stairs. Thinking they deserved some private time together and that it was a good time for her to start to learn to share, she turned back to the front door and made a run for it. She got soaked as she headed to her car to retrieve her bag for Jim. She carried it back into the house and shook the new rain out of her tangled curls. Looking around, she finally decided to leave it by the door. She didn't doubt that Jim would love the photo albums, scrapbooks, and movies as much as the grandparents did.

Then she went on a search of the rest of the first floor, her curious eyes missing nothing. She walked down the long hall, noting as she passed each room that it was finished with beauty and care but completely spartan. The dining room didn't have a lick of furniture in it. Neither did the family room or what should have been the den. It bothered her, caused her to bite her lip in worry. She stepped into the kitchen and saw the same thing there. Completely finished, gleaming stainless steel appliances, tiled floors, and only a folding card table and chairs for decoration. It was like the house was merely that; a house, with no feelings or comfort or love dwelling within it. It had not been a home. It was bare, as if the house had been incomplete without the two of them in it together.

She started rummaging through the refrigerator, looking for something she could put together for dinner. Plenty of fruits and drinks but nothing for a meal. She opened and closed cabinets. Boxes of cereal, a few bags of snacks, and a lot of dust. "What have you been feeding yourself, Mr. Frayne?" she asked, wiping the dust off on her fingers. "Pizza it is." She picked up the phone and placed an order for a large cheese pizza.

After she replaced the phone in its cradle, she looked around the kitchen once more. She felt saddened. She knew the excitement the two of them had for the house when it was being built and the discussions they had had over the plans. Looking at the inside of the house, she understood Jim on a more complete level. She completed her perusal and slowly headed towards the stairs. She figured she would find the same things upstairs. Empty rooms. It made her want to cry.

The sound of Lexie's laughter chased away her melancholy. She walked up the stairs, following the sound, and ended up in the corner room near the master bedroom that she had always loved. Lexie was sitting on one of the window seats, looking out into the rain, and laughing at something her father said. Trixie leaned against the doorframe, unwilling to break the magic of the two of them together.

He knew she was there, of course. He had a radar for her. It never failed him. He took a deep breath and threw a long look her way. She looked like heaven to him. "Come in. Trixie," he said her name purposefully, the first time he had directed it to her.

Lexie turned to her mother, her gold curls bouncing. "Mommy, Mommy!" she greeted her and scrambled towards her. She tugged on her mother's hand and brought her into the room. "This is going to be my room. Daddy let me pick it!"

Trixie brushed a hand over her daughter's curls. "This was always my favorite room," she told her in a conspiratorial whisper. "I'll show you why." She led her back over to the window seats that sat perpendicular to each other. One faced Crabapple Farm, the other Manor House. She had always thought that Ten Acres was a link in the chain, connecting their two childhood homes together. "If you sit on this one you can see Crabapple Farm, down there in the hollow. Can you see the lights through the trees?"

Lexie nodded with excitement. "My dog Sadie is done there. She's hangin' out with Reddy at the Farm. That's also where my Grandmoms and Grandpa live, and my Uncle Bobby, too," she said to her daddy, in case he didn't know.

"I know. It's a nice house." Jim watched Trixie carefully, noting how easy it was for her to be with Lexie. She was a wonderful mother. He only hoped that he could be half as good as a father to her.

Trixie climbed off the window seat and moved to the next one, pulling Lexie along with her. She tapped the curtainless window. "Now, if you sit at this window, you can see the Manor House. That's your daddy's house, remember? We had lunch there today. Look. There are the lights twinkling through the trees."

"Aunt Honey lives there!" Lexie breathed out. "So does my Nana and my Papa." She looked at her father and said, "I had a lot of fun with them today."

"I have a lot of fun with them, too." He was amazed at the wealth of love Lexie had within her to give. It practically poured out of her. She was very special.

As Lexie peered out into the darkness, hoping to catch sight of one of her family members but not realizing that was impossible from such a distance, Trixie slowly stood up from the window seat, clasping and unclasping her hands. "I ordered a pizza for dinner," she said nervously, trying to break the silence.

Jim turned his gaze on her. He saw the way she fidgeted and came to the delightful conclusion that she was nervous. Imagine, Trixie Belden nervous. She with the courage to face down hardened criminals was nervous. And he was the one making her so. The knowledge brought a heady sense of sweet power. He took a step closer to her, just to see what she would do. She stiffened a bit but didn't take a step back. He silently applauded her and wondered how he could put this knowledge to use. In a deceptively casual move, he brought his hand up and skimmed it over her arm. "I don't have much food in the kitchen, do I?" he asked with forced ease. He felt the small tremble that went through her body at his touch.

Trixie had to think hard about what he said. Her nerve endings were screaming for more. She finally pulled it out of the muddled mess he had made of her brain with one simple touch. "Ah, food, right. No, you didn't have much downstairs. That's why I though pizza would be good. It should be here soon." She hated the sound of her rambling.

He loved it. He inched ever so closer to her so that their legs briefly touched. This time she did jump, her knees coming into contact with the cushion on the window seat. All right, he decided to himself. He saw it as a challenge he didn't mind accepting. He slowly reached for his curl, the one that used to dangle over her forehead and now fell to her shoulder. He tugged, much as he had done to Lexie's earlier, and watched it bounce back into place.

Her heart stuttered, would have splintered if she hadn't taken a deep breath. The familiar move gave her hope. Her feet took an involuntary step forward to him, closing the distance, for what she didn't know, only to be interrupted by the little ball of energy in the room.

"Mommy, Daddy!" she called out, looking at the lights coming up the drive. "There's a car. Look!" She pointed out the window. She jumped up and down and tugged on her mother's hand.

"Oh, that would be the pizza." The effort to speak was hard, harder than she had ever remembered it being. It was even harder to tear her eyes away from Jim's. Something had been about to happen and now the moment was gone. "Dinner's here, Lexie."

The three of them headed out of the room. Jim was the last to go. He looked back, pondered what would have happened, and sighed. There would be other opportunities, he would see to that. His steps felt light as he headed down the stairs. For the first time he was excited to have a meal in his home.


	29. Chapter 29

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

He sat on the window seat, photo albums stretched out in front of him. They had left him a few hours ago. It had been close to Lexie's bedtime and she had been yawning. It was the first time he wished that he had taken the time to furnish the house. Then he could have talked them into staying over. Instead, he was left with smothering solitude. He had once prized it. Now that he had the pleasure of having Trixie and his daughter in his house, he damned it. The life of the house seemed to have left with them. Sitting in what would be Lexie's room made him feel a little closer to them.

He opened up the next album and stopped cold. It must have been the very first one Trixie had put together. An ultrasound stared back at him. He shifted, tried to get more comfortable, and studied the black and picture again. The little arrow pointing to the baby was very helpful. He wouldn't have been able to find the little peanut without it. "Little Lexie," he murmured and then he caught the name typed in white at the top of the ultrasound. _Winthrop, Katie H_. He couldn't breathe. She had taken his parents' names, he realized with a start. When she had gone into hiding, she had brought his mother and his father's name with her. He ran his finger over the name and felt himself swell with pride. "Unbelievable," he mumbled to himself.

His eyes drifted towards Crabapple Farm. She was there, peacefully sleeping in one of her twin beds, Lexie in the other. He could picture it perfectly. How many sleepless nights had he had as a teenager, imagining her in her room? Too many to count. It hadn't helped the few times he had actually stepped foot into her bedroom. That had only fueled the fire of his dreams.

A light turned on in what he knew to be the kitchen. He couldn't see the window from this distance. Curious, he pressed his face against the glass and watched it. The light didn't go off. It stayed on. The back porch light was next. Jim looked out into the dark night as the light seemed to beckon to him and he lost the internal debate. He left the photo albums scattered on the seat, turned off the light, and headed down the stairs. He remembered to grab a sweatshirt and to turn on his porch light before his feet lead him down the well-worn path to Crabapple Farm. Luckily for him the rain had stopped but he had to tread carefully. The rain had left a nice trail of mud.

He rounded the house quietly, his sneakered feet making no noise, until he was at the bottom of the porch steps. There she was, curled up on the swing, a light blanket around her leg, and two sleeping dogs at her feet. He assumed the black dog was Lexie's Sadie. With her tousled blonde curls and the blue blanket around her legs, she looked like an angel. He couldn't see her eyes. They were staring out into the night, away from the spot he was standing in. She hadn't noticed him. He would change that. He gave her a very quiet bob-white whistle.

Her body went rigid and her eyes snapped to him. It took a minute for her to realize that he was there, standing at her feet. "Jim!" she exclaimed quietly, leaning forward, instantly concerned. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"I saw the light go on from Ten Acres." He pointed to the kitchen light. "It's rather late to be up. I thought maybe you were having the same problem I was."

"Sleep," she groaned out and slumped against the seat. "I can't remember the last time I got a good night of sleep. It's been so long."

He could tell her to the day the last time he had slept well but he didn't want to bore her. Instead, he climbed up the steps and sat down in the chair next to the swing. He noticed the way her eyes watched him intently. "Mind if I keep you company for a bit?" he asked casually.

"No, no, not at all." She scooted over to the corner of the swing and tugged the blanket back, inviting him over. "It's a little chilly out. It's one of those cold spring nights. I only have the one blanket outside, though. Please, feel free to share it."

He didn't need to be asked twice. He tried to be suave but was sure he came across as eager in his movements. The swing creaked as he added his weight to it. The fleece blanket warmed him up or maybe it was the nearness of the woman only a few inches away. They sat in comfortable silence, listening to the creatures of the night making their eerie noises. He knew the second she let the tenseness leave her body. "I had a great time tonight," he said inanely, trying to break the silence and keep her relaxed next to him at the same time.

"Me, too," Trixie admitted quietly. She pulled the blanket a little tighter around her, unsure what to do with her hands. This was new territory she was forging. She didn't quite know how to handle it. She finally settled on the easy route. "Lexie had a blast. She's already looking forward to transforming her room at Ten Acres."

"We can get started on that tomorrow," Jim decided quickly. "You'll have to help me find the paint though. What did she call it? Princess Blue?"

"Cinderella Blue," Trixie corrected him with a jaunty grin. She shook a finger at him and warned him, "And you have to get the actual brand, otherwise the blue is not right. The shade has to be perfect. We discovered that the hard way when I painted her play room last year."

He held his hands up, palms up, and wondered how he got to be so lucky to have this uninterrupted time with her. "No problem. There are plenty of hardware stores in town. I'm sure one of them will carry it." He set the swing in motion, its gentle rocking soothing them, lulling them. He decided to push it a little further. "We can go shopping in the morning."

"All right." Trixie didn't contradict it. She liked the way he said 'we'. She wanted to be included in it. "Do you have any work to do, though? I'm jobless at the moment. What about you?"

"I get to make my own hours." When she looked confused, he realized with a frown that she didn't know what he did for a living. That surprised him. He would have thought someone would have filled her in by now. The wonders of a small town and a set of close-knit friends like the Bob-Whites. They always shared with each other. "I'm a carpenter, Trix. I turned the garage into a workshop. I work with wood."

She could easily picture it in her mind. She loved the image of it. Her eyes sparkled with the thought of him turning a piece of wood into something special and unique. She glanced at his large hands. They could make a masterpiece. "I'd love to see your workshop, Jim. It's perfectly perfect for you." It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him about the school he had always wanted to build but she stopped herself. She liked the ease of the moment. She didn't want to kill it with something heavy.

He was inordinately pleased that she was so excited about his profession. "It's not a big business or anything," he informed her, wanting her to know the truth. "I do odd jobs here and there and make a few things. My dad's been after me because I don't advertise." He released a small laugh, rubbed his hand over his hair. "He can't believe that I don't even have a business card."

"You're not exactly the big, corporate type," Trixie retorted with blinding insight. "I can't imagine you'd be happy with a lot of deadlines or orders. I think you have your business set up just the way you want it. Personal and casual. Just the way you would like it."

Jim thought her view was right on the money. "That's it exactly. The next time my dad starts in on me, I'm going to send him to you. You may be able to get through to him."

They continued swinging in silence for a few more minutes, neither one wanting the special moment to end. A large yawn from Trixie finally sealed the deal. Jim stopped the swing and threw aside the blanket. She was left in her green flannel pajamas. "I think it's time you went to bed, young lady." He offered her his hand.

She put her hand in his, willing it not to shake, and slowly stood up. There were mere inches from each other again, this time without a preschooler to interrupt. Her nerves were back. She brushed her curls back. "I guess this is good night, then."

"Yeah," he said huskily, his hand still holding hers. He traced small circles on the top of her hand with one of his fingers. He looked inside the house and spoke without thinking, "It must be great to wake up to Lexie."

Trixie stood a little awkwardly, not wanting the cocoon of comfort to disappear, and heard the wistfulness behind his statement. He was Lexie's father and he deserved at least one night with her. She threw caution to the wind, reasoned inwardly that she was an adult and a mother, to boot, and that her parents couldn't get that mad at her. "You know," she heard herself say, "you could always stay here tonight. You could stay in my room. I could sleep with Lexie and you could have the other bed. Then you would be here in the morning, when Lexie wakes up. She'd love to see you first thing in the morning." She couldn't believe the words were spilling out of her mouth.

Neither could he. He took a step closer to her, tipped her chin up so that he could look her in the eyes. "I think that would be great," he agreed before she could withdraw her offer.

"You should know that Lexie is an early waker. She's getting better than she used to, though. I can almost count on her sleeping into six now." She was rattling on, she knew it, but he was so close to her and his finger was still under her chin. Her hand was still held loosely in his other hand. The sensations were almost too much for her to handle. "I bet you'd like to spend the night with Lexie. You've never been able to do that."

"There's nothing I'd like more to do. I'd love to spend the night...with Lexie." He really meant Trixie but he wanted to keep it as simple as possible, to keep her a little off-guard, and see where the rest of the night went. He gazed down into her face, mesmerized by her beauty. He knew she had never believed that she was beautiful but to him she was. Beautiful and desirable and more real to him than anything in the world. Should he or shouldn't he? He lost the internal struggle almost the second it started warring within him. He slowly brought his lips to hers. It was a whisper-soft kiss, full of caring with only the smallest hint of passion. It only lasted a moment but its effect was powerful. He felt it straight through to his bones. "Thank you," he managed to get out past his slack lips.

Trixie touched a finger to her lips. How was it that such a simple kiss could rock her to her very soul? "Ah, well, you're welcome," she sputtered out stupidly, wondering what on earth he was thanking her for. Her fingers fumbled as she opened the kitchen door. She let the dogs in first and then got a good look at his feet. "You'd better take off your shoes. I don't think Moms would be happy to wake up to mud on her floor."

He complied quickly, toeing out of his sneakers and leaving them outside, next to the door. He thought it more likely that her mother and father would object to finding an unexpected houseguest but he didn't voice his suspicions. There was no way in hell he was turning down this invitation. Mr. Honorable, be damned. He followed her quietly through the darkened house.

She turned to him as they headed up the stairs. "Watch the third stair from the top," she warned him. "It's still squeaky."

"I remember," he whispered back. "I spent a few nights over here with Brian and Mart."

She halted on the steps and threw a grin at him. "Those were always fun nights. I loved having sleep-overs, here, at your house or at Di's." She continued up, his steps echoing behind hers. They both stepped over the squeaky stair. She motioned towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. "There are extra toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet. Feel free to help yourself." She watched him head into the bathroom and then entered her bedroom.

She pressed her back against the door, wondering what on earth she was doing. Inviting a man to sleep over, with a preschooler sleeping in the same room and her parents and her younger brother down the hall. And not just any man. A handsome, desirable man who just so happened to be the love of her life. And who happened to be on her father's list. She didn't want to think about her father's reaction. She blew out a frustrated breath and worried about what she had gotten herself into. She was snapped out of her reverie when she heard the bathroom door open. She quickly dove into the bed with Lexie, gently moving her over so that she had a little bit of room, and pulled the covers up.

Jim's large body filled the doorframe. He closed the door behind him and looked at his girls in the same bed. His girls. He would never think of them as anything but his girls. His feet drew him to the twin bed. He couldn't resist running a hand over Lexie's golden hair and appreciated the sound of her gentle breathing. "Thanks again," he said lowly to Trixie. "I really appreciate this."

This time she knew what he was thanking her for. "It's nothing, really," Trixie answered, trying to shrug it off.

He wouldn't let her. "No, Trixie. It's everything." He leveled his gaze on hers but couldn't make out her eyes in the shadows of the room. "Good night, Trix. I'll see you in the morning."

She watched him climb into her other bed, noticed that he kept his clothes on. Her arm stole around her child. She closed her eyes, listening to him breathe from across the room. She tossed and turned, and finally ended up looking at the dark ceiling, thinking how on earth was she ever going to get any sleep tonight. One last glance at Jim showed her that he was already sleeping. Deciding that she could learn by his example, she slowly closed her eyes again and concentrated on the sound of him breathing. It wasn't long before she joined him in peaceful slumber.


	30. Chapter 30

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty

A kick in the legs, an elbow to the ribs, and Trixie was awake. She opened her eyes to the early morning sun streaming in through her curtains and her daughter moving around restlessly in the bed. She knew from past experience that Lexie's restlessness was a sure sign that she was about to wake up. Through narrowed eyes she made out the time on the alarm clock. Six-fifteen. It was a new record. Lexie was definitely improving on sleeping on.

A small snore broke through her blurry mind. Alerted, she pushed off of her elbows and glanced across the room. A shock of red hair rested against her soft pillow while blankets had been kicked off his lanky body during the night. Jim! How could she have forgotten? She brushed at her tangled curls and pushed aside her covers, suddenly feeling restless herself.

Lexie brought her green eyes to her mom and reached out her arms to her. "Mommy," she said, her voice still thickly coated with sleep, and unsure about where she was.

Trixie saw the confusion on her face and gathered her in her arms and held on tightly. "Shh," she whispered to her daughter, swaying back and forth on the bed. "It's okay. We're at Grandmoms' house, remember?"

"They have chickens," she remembered with a sage nod. It had been fun chasing them yesterday. She bounced up. "I can help feed them again today. Uncle Bobby told me so."

"Uncle Bobby is still sleeping. So is everyone else. How about we head downstairs and start breakfast?" She kept her voice low and soft, not wishing to disturb Jim. "We'll surprise them."

Lexie nodded and scrambled off the bed. Trixie shooed her out the door before she could see the other person in the room. She didn't want the rest of the household to be woken up by childish screams of "Daddy!" She didn't think her father would appreciate it too much. She gave Jim one more glance, knowing that he was the reason why she had such a refreshing night of sleep, and slipped out the door.

The closing click woke him. A little disoriented, he looked around and wondered where he was. It took a minute before his sleep-fogged brain remembered that he had spent the night in Trixie's bedroom, with Trixie and Lexie only a few feet away. He swung his head around. He wasn't surprised to find the other bed empty. Reaching over to the night stand, he looked at the clock. "Better than Trixie predicted," he noted and stood up from the bed. He wasn't about to miss any second of his first morning with them.

It took only a few minutes before he was presentable. He traveled down the stairs quietly, being sure to avoid the squeaky step, and hoped that no one else was up yet. Luck continued to be with him, much to his delight. The only two people in the kitchen were his girls. One was at the table; the other was inspecting the refrigerator. The smell of freshly brewing coffee invaded the air.

Head bent, intently coloring in a Disney Princess coloring book, Lexie was the first to notice him. She dropped her crayons and jumped out of her chair. Just as Trixie had predicted, she let out a loud squeal of , "Daddy!" and propelled herself into his arms, her smile the widest Trixie had ever seen it.

Arms filled with bacon, eggs, and a carton of milk, Trixie used her hip to close the refrigerator door. "Good morning, Jim," she greeted him, a little hesitantly. She wasn't sure what to do or so. It was new territory for her. Deciding it best to concentrate on simpler things, like breakfast, she dropped the items on the counter and shared with him inanely, in case he hadn't been able to figure it out, "I'm just getting ready to make breakfast."

Lexie claimed him before he could respond. She tugged his hand, bringing him over to the table. "Sit here, Daddy," she ordered him, pointing to the chair next to hers. She clambered up next to him and handed him a crayon. "You can color with me."

He took the bright pink crayon and looked at the splotch of color on the page. There wasn't one bit of it that managed to stay in the lines. In true three-year old fashion, the colors had been spread haphazardly across the page. He could barely make out the dark lines of a princess in a ball gown. He called on his own childhood experienced, coming to the quick conclusion that it was a picture of Cinderella. "I'd love to color with you. Your picture is beautiful," he said sincerely.

Trixie watched them out of the corner of her eyes as she mixed the batter for the waffles. Their heads were close together, foreheads touching, as they worked intently to color in the scene. Their voices were low and soft, punctuated every now and then with a little giggle from Lexie. It warmed her heart and validated her impulsive decision from the night before. Lexie needed this time with her father just as much as he deserved the time with her. She poured the batter into the old-fashioned waffle-maker and turned to the bacon. In a minute it was frying in the pan.

She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, too intent on the pair at the table. She wasn't quick enough. Bacon grease splattered on her wrist, burning her. "Ouch!" she called out and jumped back from the stove, shaking her arm and holding it against her chest.

He was at her side in a heartbeat. Gently he pulled her arm away from her body and inspected the burn, his touch warm and sure, and his voice low. "It's not too bad," he noted after looking at it. "Let's run it under some cool water. Then we can add some aloe to soothe it."

She allowed him to run her wrist under the cool water, looking at him through her veil of lashes. A bit of stubble had grown on his face through the night, making him look more rugged than normal. She could see the concentration on his face as he held her hand under water, much longer than was necessary, as if he wanted to make sure the pain was completely gone. He treated it with the utmost importance and care. Their bodies were close, less than an inch away from touching. A spear of longing for more shot through her, surprising her with its intensity. She hoped she was successful at hiding her gasp.

She wasn't. He heard it, recognized it, and felt the same way. The smell of the shampoo she used to wash her hair was driving him crazy. He thought he must be insane, to be brought low by such an ordinary thing. But there it was. The thoughts in his mind were much too inappropriate for a family breakfast but they couldn't be shaken away. He was slowly brought back to the present by the cool water on his hands. "I think that's about enough of that," he decided after clearing his throat. He reached behind him, came up with a dish towel and tenderly dried her wrist.

She knew she was in trouble. Something as simple as basic first aid shouldn't have stirred her up but she couldn't deny it. It had. He was too damn close. He was too damn gentle. He was too damn perfect. She couldn't even feel the small sting of the burn anymore. All of her attention was focused on him. Her voice sounded shaky to her own ears. "Moms keeps an aloe plant on the windowsill."

He saw it and broke off a piece. He could tell that she expected him to hand it to her. Instead, he carefully attended to the burn himself, his touch tender, his gaze intense, and his desire bubbling a few degrees below the surface.

Brought to a halt in the doorway, Helen stopped and stared, her greeting frozen on her lips. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, her daughter and Jim Frayne were standing together in front of the sink, as close as two humans could get, with eyes only for each other. Tension emanated in waves off of them. She wasn't stupid. She knew what the tension meant. Not wanting to disturb them, hoping to encourage them, she took a step back, only to have her plans foiled.

"Morning, Grandmoms!" Lexie greeted her gaily, her smile wide and her eyes sparkling, unaware of her parents behind her. "I'm having fun. Mommy's making breakfast and Daddy's coloring with me."

He dropped her hand and felt a small flush stain his cheeks. All thoughts of desire fled. He had dreaded the moment when he would have to face her parents. He only hoped that they would assume he had dropped in for breakfast, not that he had spent the night. But as he looked at Lexie, he knew it was worth it. "Hi, Mrs. Belden."

Helen put her hands on her hips. "It's Helen, Jim," she corrected easily. "And good morning to all of you." She headed around the table and gave her favorite granddaughter a kiss. Glancing up at him knowingly, she stated evenly, laughing to herself when she saw him want to squirm, "You're out and about early this morning, Jim."

He stuttered out, "Yeah." He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to admit that he had slept in Trixie's room, either. He took immediate refuge at the table, resuming coloring with Lexie. He wasn't beyond hiding behind a three-year old.

Trixie kept her back turned, amused at seeing Jim flustered by her mom, and stifled a giggle. She opened the waffle maker and took out the first two, setting them on a plate to cool, and poured in more batter. Helen came up behind her. "Hi, Moms," Trixie said. "We're having waffles and bacon."

"I can see that." Helen hid her own smile. It was obvious to her that Jim had spent the night but she decided not to call either one of them on it. Now if only she could get to Peter before he made it to the kitchen. She hoped to run interference for the young couple. "It looks like you have things well under control here, Trixie. I'll be back in a minute."

She was foiled again. Peter entered the room with a wide smile on his face that faltered once his eyes lit on their guest. He couldn't do what he really wanted to do, especially with his granddaughter there, so he settled for a low grunt and said with thinly veiled sarcasm that wasn't missed by any of the adults, "I see everyone is up early this morning."

Jim felt the chill, knew he deserved it. He could only imagine how he would feel if Lexie found herself in a position similar to Trixie's when she was older. He actually admired the older man. He doubted if he'd be able to control his temper or his desire to pound on the faceless man. Deciding to tough it out, he responded, "It's a beautiful morning." He slowly put his arm around Lexie's chair, a silent sign of possession, and arched an eyebrow. She was _his_ daughter, after all. He had every right to be with her.

Peter saw the way Jim laid his arm across Lexie's chair and knew that he had lost the battle. He sighed. He couldn't say or do anything. At least, not in front of his granddaughter. When he saw the way Trixie was looking at him, he sighed again. And definitely not in front of his daughter. It felt awful to have his hands tied. He pulled out his chair and sat down, disgusted that he had to give up the battle so quickly.

Missing nothing, Helen nodded her approval. She placed a cup of black coffee in front of him and squeezed his shoulder. "Good for you," she whispered for his ears only.

"If it wasn't for Trixie and Lexie...," he gritted out behind his coffee cup and stopped. And then there was also the fact that he really liked Jim and always had. Either way he looked at it, he was damned. Resigned, he lifted his cup as Bobby joined the table.

"Take the high road," she advised him in the same quiet tone, relieved that her husband had seen the error of his ways. "Let them figure it out on their own." Then she set out to help get breakfast on the table.

Finished with preparing the meal, Trixie slid into the only available seat, right next to Jim. She knew her cheeks warmed a bit as she did so. She concentrated on folding the napkin in her lap until she was relatively sure she was ready to join the conversation around her and then lifted her head. It was harder than she thought to participate with Jim right next to her.

"What do you have planned for today?" Helen asked Trixie after adding a generous dollop of syrup to her waffles. The question seemed innocent but Helen had a feeling Trixie's answer wouldn't be. She was prepared to kick Peter in the leg if need be.

"I think we're going to do some shopping," Trixie answered after looking quickly at Jim, who nodded in agreement.

Helen was pleased that they had already made plans together. It was a good sign. In fact, the whole morning was progressing along very nicely for the two of them. She couldn't have been happier. But she decided not to ask what they would be shopping for. Best not to stir the pot with Peter. She offered her services as babysitter instead. "Lexie can stay with us while you do that, dear. We'll have a great time together."

"I want to feed the chickens," Lexie broke in excitedly, her mouth full of waffle and sticky with syrup, and not daunted at all about staying behind while her parents went shopping.

"We'll do that after we get dressed," Bobby answered easily. He had enjoyed having her help yesterday. He wouldn't mind making Lexie's presence an everyday occurrence. It made the mundane chore much more enjoyable.

The conversation continued to ebb and flow as it usually did in the Belden household, with Jim taking little part in it. He spent most of his time studying Trixie, watching Lexie and avoiding Peter's sharp gaze. Being sandwiched between his two girls was the best place he could be in. He thought about the upcoming shopping trip and stole another glance at Trixie. While shopping wasn't even close to being on the list of things he liked doing, he found himself looking forward to it with a feeling of overwhelming anticipation. Uninterrupted alone time with Trixie. What could be better than that?


	31. Chapter 31

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-One

"There's no need to worry about anything. We'll be okay, Trixie. Run along and have a good time shopping. Take your time. We'll be fine." Helen took Lexie's hand and brought her into the kitchen, where she was planning on having the little girl help her bake cookies. It would be a good distraction for her for when her parents left. "Lexie and I will have a surprise for you when you get back," Helen called over her shoulder. "And take all the time that you need."

It felt odd to be left alone with Jim. And she knew it would only get a little more awkward. Her cheeks tinted pink at the memory of their encounter in the kitchen and on the porch the night before. She wished she was brave enough to ask him where she stood with him. "I guess it's time to go," she finally got out, her eyes on the empty doorway where her mother and her daughter had disappeared.

Jim had watched a myriad of emotions parade across her expressive face but couldn't tell what they meant. He would have loved to ask her about them but he didn't have the courage to do so yet. He figured time would tell where he stood with her or, more importantly, what they meant to each other. His aim was for ease and comfort, an attempt to revisit the friendship that they had and start building on it again. He didn't want her to be continually nervous or wary around him. "Let's go to Ten Acres. I need to get changed first." It had amazed him that none of the Beldens had discovered that he had spent the night. He opened the front door for her, closed it behind her and shortened his longer gait to match her shorter one. "We'll take my truck."

She glance at him sideways, knowing that her conversational skills were seriously lacking. It seemed like her brain continually shut down when she was near him for too long. She latched onto the topic gratefully. "I was surprised to see a truck in your driveway last night. I've never known you to drive one. Imagine, Jim Frayne, pick-up man."

The laugh came easily. "It comes in handy with my work. There are times when I need to pick up loads of lumber or deliver something that I made. A truck was the most logical choice," he explained.

Trixie recalled what she could of the vehicle in her mind. Surprisingly enough, she couldn't recall too much. Her detective instincts were not as sharp from lack of use. She admitted it with a wry grin. "I didn't get the best look at it last night through the rain. However, I noticed that it did have an extended cab. That'll come in handy when you need to drive Lexie." She felt her end of the conversation was vacuous but it was the best she could do. She had come to the conclusion that nice and easy would be the order of the day, for her sake and her rioting emotions. It seemed to be the only way she would be able to survive the outing. "We'll have to pick up a carseat for you today."

They started up the well-know path to Ten Acres. It hadn't been used as much in recent years. "I'll need you to help me pick out things for her like that." He laughed a little and spread his hands in front of him. It wasn't hard for him to admit that he needed assistance from an expert. "I'm a little out of my element when it comes to knowing what a three-year old needs."

"You'll catch on quick." She gifted him with a smile. The sun chose that moment to come out from behind a puffy cloud and shot a ray of light her way. He thought she looked like an ethereal being. Trixie continued on, unaware of her affect on him, "As long as it has something to do with Disney Princesses, you'll have her eating out of the palm of your hand. I've never been able to turn her into a tomboy, despite my best efforts. She's a true girl, through and through."

"I've gathered that." The path became muddier and not as easy to travel. He grabbed a firm hold onto her elbow as they started up the steeper incline and stepped closer to her, ready to catch her if she should slip. "Careful here," he advised her, his breath warm on her neck. He reveled in the shiver that coursed through her and kept himself as close to her as he could the entire way, ready to catch her if she tripped. "There's a lot of mud from yesterday's rain. I slipped a few times coming down last night. Luckily I didn't fall."

She took his advice and kept her steps smaller and more sure. It took longer but was well worth it. She was grateful for the support, almost certain she would have fallen on her face without it. The incline was steep. With the mud from the rain, it was on the treacherous side. She could only imagine what she would have look like if she did fall flat on her face, which was a highly likely possibility. That would make a great impression, she thought with an inward sigh, cursing her innate clumsiness that she never truly outgrew.

They continued the rest of the way in silence, picking their way carefully along the path. There was one troublesome moment where Jim's arms came around to steady Trixie as she nearly slipped on a set of muddy stones. They stayed to the outskirts, avoiding the mud as much as possible. When they finally reached the top of the path, Trixie stopped and studied the house. A strong sense of deja vu assaulted her. She could clearly remember a warm July night that brought a change to their lives forever, a wondrous change. Things hadn't turned out quite the way they had predicted that long ago evening. But hope, which had been an unsmiling stranger to her for so long, was now a strong emotion welling up deep within her. They would make it work, somehow, someway. She could feel it. She slid a glance at him but couldn't tell if the same thoughts were floating around in his mind.

He wasn't thinking of that long ago night or the events that had happened since but his thoughts were in a similar vein. He looked at the house, really studied it, and noted how it stood tall against the blue background of the nearly cloudless sky. To him, it looked a little alone, a little forlorn, almost a little forgotten, kind of like the old, ramshackle house he had run in desperation to when he was fifteen. He made a silent vow that he would do whatever it took to make sure the house ring with love and laughter. The woman besides him was a big part of making that happen. His voice broke the silence. "It will only take me a few minutes to shave and get changed. I'll meet you out here."

She watched him as he loped across the yarn and into the house. She didn't follow. Instead, her eyes turned to the other building standing a bit away from the house. It was a miniature copy of the house, a perfect match. It should have been the garage but she now knew it to be his workshop. She wanted to explore it, to see what he had done with it and to study the place where he worked, but she tamped down on her rampaging curiosity. There wasn't enough time.

It didn't take more than five minutes before Jim was skipping down the front porch, his face freshly shaved and his keys jingling in his hand. "All ready to go!" he called out and headed over to his truck.

The truck was bigger than she expected. She had to use the running board to climb in on the passenger side. She was surprised to see how high up it was. She scanned the interior, noting that there wasn't a stain on the dark gray interior or a speck of dust on the dashboard. She thought that wouldn't last long once Lexie became a regular passenger "This is very nice," she said conversationally after buckling her seatbelt.

He threw his lopsided grin at her and started the engine. It astonished him that something so simple as a ride with her could bring him such pleasure. "I figure we'll get the paint first. Then you can help me shop for the stuff you feel I'm in desperate need of for Lexie."

"That's a good plan." He was in desperate need of a lot of things for the house but she didn't voice that thought. She didn't want to offend him. She suggested another, much-needed stop. "We should probably get you some groceries, too. I noticed last night that you running a little short."

"I'm used to making do with what I have," he admitted with a small chuckle, not fazed at all. He didn't have many visitors. His lack of furniture had dissuaded his friends and family from descending upon him on a regular basis. "As long as it doesn't have mold on it, I'm generally pretty good with it."

She could only imagine. "I'll show you Lexie's favorites. She's not that particular when it comes to food but she does have a few things she will certainly not it."

He was curious about anything Lexie. He had to force himself to keep his eyes on the road instead of on her. Luckily for him the truck knew the way. "What are her absolute hates?"

"Cooked green vegetables," she responded quickly and with another giggle. "The bane of nearly all children everywhere. She can't stand them. The only way I've ever been able to get her to eat them is through bribery."

"Bribery?" He was interested in the strategy. It was one he would not have considered employing.

"Yes, bribery. You'd be amazed at how well that works. I can usually talk her into eating two or three bites if I promise to give her something sweet after." She leaned against the back of the seat, comfortable with the flow of the conversation, and ready to share, especially with such an interested audience. She could publish a report on her daughter if the need ever arose. "Sweets are her downfall. Cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, doughnuts. Anything like that. She'll do just about anything you ask if you promise a reward like that."

"That's good to know." Out of the corner of his eye he saw that there was not trace of tenseness in the lines of her body. He noticed the comfortable smile on her face and the clear blue of her eyes. No nerves, no hesitation, just a simple, comfortable ease. He made a mental note to talk about Lexie as much as possible. It was certainly an effective way to get her guard down. "How else have you used bribery?"

"It came in very handy with potty-training." Trixie rolled her eyes at the memory. Much to her delight, it had been nearly a month since Lexie had had an accident. She wasn't quite ready to admit that Lexie was completely trained. She didn't want to jinx it. "At first I took her to the store nearly every time she was successful. I quickly learned that was not the best route. I would have been broke within a week. So we started the infamous potty chart next. Each time she filled it up, she was able to pick out something special."

The drive into town had gone quicker than he could ever remember. Disappointment shot through him when they passed through the center of town. He turned into the hardware store parking lot and turned off the truck. It looked like they would be the only ones inside. "Stop number one."

"Paint. Cinderella Blue. You have the other supplies for painting, right?" Trixie wanted to make sure they would have everything they needed. At his affirmative nod, she climbed out of the truck. A thought of blinding clarity brought her to a halt in the parking lot, her smile off her face and a look of wonder to her blue eyes.

Jim rounded the hood. He took one look at her and stuffed his hands in his pockets. She didn't look comfortable now. She looked a little sad and haunted. "What's the matter?" he asked, concerned.

She turned to him, a wistful yet happy smile floating on her face. She didn't mind sharing her moment with him. In fact, there was no one she would rather be with. "Nothing, Jim. I simply realized this is my first trip into Sleepyside."

His concern evaporated and his smile matched hers. "How does it feel?" he questioned, his voice low and husky.

"Just wonderful!" She threw her hands up in the air and laughed. It sounded like the laugh he remembered. "You can't imagine how much I missed it here, how much I missed...everything." She spoke the last word slowly, with a whole wealth of meaning behind it that he didn't miss. _Everything_ really meant him.

"I think I can, Trixie." He moved a little closer and spoke lower. "It's not my first time back in Sleepyside but I can tell you it's the first trip I've looked forward to in a very long time." He left no doubt that she was the reason why he had anticipated the trip.

"Oh, right." Giddiness took over. Without thinking, she took his hand. It was the first time she had reached out to touch him without him instigating it. She didn't realize it but he did. He would have stayed rooted to the spot, enjoying the moment, but she tugged on his hand. He let her pull him after her and towards the store. "Let's go in"

Two cans of paint later they were back in the truck, ready for the next stop. "Now we need to get you a carseat." Always in her element when in charge of a project, Trixie fairly beamed with excitement. It had been far too long since she had been in charge.

Memories passed through his mind, times past just like this, when they would be working together on an extremely noble and worthwhile project. Many times they had traveled with other members of their club. The best times for him had been when it was just the two of them. That hadn't happened as frequently but he remembered each time clearly. Each project they had worked on had been special. But he couldn't imagine a more worthwhile one than getting the two of them past the almost insurmountable obstacles that fate had placed in their way and back to where they both needed to be. Together. This morning left no doubt in his mind that they would reach it. It was only a matter of time. His soul shone with a light that it had almost forgotten about. "There wasn't too many people in the hardware store. Are you ready to face the people in Sleepyside's new super center? Half the town is generally in there at any given time."

She nodded yes, finding the prospect amusing. "I still find it hard to believe that Sleepyside has a super center. It seems so funny." She released another small giggle and recalled a former nemesis. "Has Mr. Lytell survived the attack?"

"His store is poking along at its normal rate, just the way he likes it. He still stocks your favorite strawberry pop." He didn't mention that he periodically bought a six-pack of it although he couldn't stand the stuff. It had always made him feel a littler closer to Trixie. "You won't find it in here, though." He parked the car and waited for her to come around to his side.

"Then it's a good thing Mr. Lytell's store is still standing. It's been a long time since I've had some." She stopped in the middle of the parking lot, laughter pouring out of her. "Oh, I can't wait to shop in his store. Can you imagine how he's going to react to me? He never liked me."

"He'll be happy to see you for about two minutes," Jim predicted astutely, charmed by her laughter. "Then he'll remember all the ruckus you made and he won't be so happy then."

"My thoughts exaclty." They entered the store together, still smiling. She grabbed a shopping cart and they wound their way through the aisles. Trixie tried not to notice the many looks or murmured voices coming their way. A few of the older patrons had no problems pointing in her direction.

"I think the town realizes you're back," he said, amusement lacing his voice. "It'll be all over in an hour or so."

"The wonders of a small town." She wouldn't have it any other way. She pulled the cart to a stop in the infant/toddler aisle, an aisle that had been unknown to Jim in the past, and pointed to the big boxes of carseats. "Now, let's find the one that you need."

"I'm at your mercy." He was out of his league and watched Trixie as she carefully inspected each box, discarding one after another for some reason he couldn't fathom. They looked the same to him. It took her a few minutes but she finally found the one she liked. A pretty pink one with flowers splattered across it. He took it off the shelf and placed it in the cart. "This will make a nice statement in my truck," he said sarcastically.

"But it's the best and Lexie will love it." She couldn't wait to see the ultra-feminine seat in his masculine truck. "We'll get a few sippy cups next. You'll need them for your house." She went down the next aisle, expertly scanning the aisles. Sets of sippy cups with happy, smiling princesses joined the carseat. She also reached up and pulled down a set of baby-proofing materials. "We'll have to make sure the house is safe, too. All of the cleaning supplies and things like that will need these to lock them away. We'll also have to install these little clips in the drawers."

He loved the way she kept saying 'we'. "I can install them. I don't think that will be hard."

She lifted a brow at him, remembering how much trouble she had installing the little plastic pieces on her drawers in the house in Connecticut. She had been working for three hours before she gave up and hired someone to do it for her. "You may be surprised by that. I came to the quick realization that the manufacturers of these things intentionally make installing anything baby-related as difficult as humanly possible. I can still remember the horror of trying to install the infant carseat. I thought I'd go out of my mind. We'll see if you change your mind."

He deferred to her expertise. He was content to follow along. It didn't take long before the cart was filled to the brim with different supplies and toys that Trixie assured him Lexie would love. They were on their way to the front of the store to check out when a familiar voice stopped them. "Trixie Belden."

Trixie and Jim turned as one. Although her presence had caused quite a stir, it was the first time she had been hailed in the store. She felt a smile tug at her lips. Leave it to him to be the first to greet her. "Chief Molinson," she retorted back. She held herself a little taller. Their relationship had always been a stormy one. She hadn't exactly respected his authority, no matter how much he demanded it. He had never exactly respected her instincts, no matter how many times she had proven to be right.

His face beamed into a large smile. She may never have realized it but she had alwasy been one of his favorite citizens in his town. Her 'death' had hit him harder than many people had realized. He strode towards the two. He would have loved to have hugged her but that would have been too out of character. "Officer Mangan told me you had returned to town but I told him I wouldn't believe it until I see it."

"Seeing is believing," Jim put in. He recalled the sketch Nick Roberts had made of Trixie that day of the bike-a-thon, with then-Sergeant Molinson lecturing a repentant Trixie about the perils of acting on her own. It had been a pose she had found herself in far too often.

"Mangan gave me some cockamamie story about you being in an accident and losing your memory. It seemed rather silly to me." His shrewd gaze studied her, watching her reaction carefully. The story hadn't rung true.

She didn't like lying so she settled for a non-commital shrug instead. "It's good to be back. I was telling Jim earlier how much I missed Sleepyside."

"Sleepyside has missed you, too." Chief Molinson watched the body language of the two. He saw how close they were standing together, almost touching. It wasn't hard for him to see that the two of them were picking up where they had left off. Ever the police officer, he couldn't help but see the supplies in the cart and puzzled over them. He figured it wouldn't be long until the gossip mill was in full swing. He'd find out soon enough. "Leave it to Trixie Belden to cheat death." He waved goodbye and headed on his way.

Trixie released the breath she hadn't even known she was holding. "I was expecting him to give me another one of his infamous lectures," she admitted to Jim.

"You haven't done anything to deserve one," he whispered back. He took the cart from her and made it to the check-out line. "Are you hungry?" Jim asked as they patiently waited their turn. "We could hit Wimpy's for lunch and then the grocery store afterwards."

Wimpy's sounded wonderful. It had been a long time since she had stepped foot in there and tasted the delicious food. "Let's do it." And more time alone with Jim. She thought back to last week at this time. She had been using a false name, living a false life, with only memories to offer her any sort of comfort. How quickly her life had changed, and for the better. She wasn't sure how she had suddenly become so fortunate.


	32. Chapter 32

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Two

By the time they had checked out, loaded the truck with their items, and driven to Wimpy's, it was past the normal lunch rush. The parking lot was nearly empty. Too caught up in his conversation with Trixie, Jim didn't spare a glance towards the other cars. With matching steps, they headed into the familiar diner. Neither felt awkward or uncomfortable. The morning's shopping had brought an ease back to their relationship that had been missing.

They paused in the doorway. The few patrons at the counter threw them a passing glance and then did a double-take when they realized who had entered. Trixie didn't feel their shock or hear their hurriedly whispered conversation. She was too excited to see that the diner hadn't changed at all during her absence. There was still the row of seats facing the counter and many booths lining the walls. It felt remarkably good to be back. She motioned towards the restrooms and mumbled, "I'll be back in a minute."

"I'll get the usual booth." Jim watched her go, almost as if he was afraid she would disappear if he didn't, then moved towards the booth and stopped short. It was tough but he did his best to hide his sudden disappointment. Two Bob-Whites already occupied it. He forced a smile on his face and continued walking over. All he could think was that he really had wanted some more time alone with Trixie.

"Hey, Jim," Mart sang out, his arm over the back of the cushioned vinyl seat. He hadn't missed who Jim had arrived with or the quick flash of disappointment on his friend's face. It helped put aside some of his worries about his sister. It looked to him like things were getting back on track, and maybe a little quicker than Trixie and Jim's notoriously slow pace. He remembered how frustrating it had been watching the two of them watch each other for so long. It had taken them nearly five years before they had started dating. Hopefully it wouldn't take them that long before they resolved any lingering issues. "Good of you to join us."

Dressed in his police uniform, Dan looked impressive. He immediately got up and moved to the other side, trying hard to keep the teasing smile off his face. He pointed to the seat he had vacated. He hadn't missed Jim's guest either. "Call me crazy but I bet you'd rather sit next to Trixie than either of us."

He didn't answer but slid into the seat that he had occupied on too many occasions to count, from high school and beyond. He was mentally kicking himself, having forgotten that Mart and Dan often ate lunch together when their schedules coincided. Wimpy's, of course, was their restaurant of choice. With its good food and quick service, it had every right to be. He had joined both of them often enough for lunch. Biting back a sigh, he realized he would have suggested a different place if he had remembered.

Mart started to tease him but stopped himself with an uncharacteristic alertness. Something told him that he should give both of them a little more time. They were in a fragile place. "We're eating a little bit late today," he offered instead as a belated apology. "I got held up on a story and Officer Mangan here got held up by a tale of a lost kitty cat."

Dan's laughter filled the diner. "I'm glad to say that the cat has been found. He'd been holing up at the local animal shelter for the past day, probably glad to be away from the plastic coverings on the furniture in the house. Or maybe the bright pink and blue color with the big jingly bell on it." He threw his friends a grin at the foolishness of the incident. "Either way, I swear that poor Mr. Meow was not all that happy to be returned to his owner. He hissed at me during the transfer."

Mart leaned back in the corner of his seat. He spread his hand in front of him as his blue eyes twinkled with humor. "Now that's one for the front page. I can see the headlines now. 'Crime Takes a Break. Sleepyside's Finest Now In Charge Of Finding Lost Pets." He gave a chuckle.

Dan hit him playfully in the arm. "Hey, we aim to serve and protect. Although, I have to admit that sometimes the serving can be a little...odd."

Trixie joined them. She easily slipped in next to Jim and smiled at Mart and Dan. The past day had been very busy for her. She had spent time introducing Lexie to the four grandparents and her father. She hadn't been able to talk to any of the other Bob-Whites. "Hey, guys. It's good to see you."

Head bent over his pad, ready to take their order, Mike came over. He had seen the three men in the booth but he hadn't seen Trixie take her seat. Holding his pencil aloft in the air, he announced with a flourish, "All right, what's it going to be?"

Mart looked around at the other pairs of eyes. With their nods, he ordered for them. "Definitely the usual, Mike. Four of your special hamburgers and fries. It's been a long time since my sister has had a chance to taste your famous cooking."

His pencil stopped in mid-order as the meaning sank in. Looking up from his pad, his wondrous gaze fell on Trixie and lit up. "Well, I'll be," he breathed out, his face breaking out into a wide grin of welcome. "Trixie Belden. It is good to see you." He held his arms out to her.

Trixie stood up and hugged the man who had always been a true friend to the Bob-Whites. "Oh, it's really good to be back," she laughed out. There was certainly something special about Sleepyside. She was feeling lighter than she had in a long time.

"Well, I have a feeling there's a good story behind this one." Mike was poised to ask for it when one of the other patrons signaled for his check. "But I'll have to get it at another time. Lunch is on me, folks!"

"We should bring you here more often," Mart chuckled, pleased by Mike's offer. "I can't remember Mike ever offering us a free meal. Almost makes me wish I had ordered something else."

Trixie resumed her seat, shaking her head. She smiled at Mike when he returned with four sodas for the group and watched him as he hurried off to see to the others in the diner. It was rather quiet at the table so she introduced a topic that had her a little curious. "I didn't think to ask you the other night, Dan. Where are you living now?" Trixie took a sip of her soda.

He eyed her, considered, and decided she didn't know. He hated to take the smile off her face so he told her as softly as he could. "I still live in the cabin. Mr. Maypenny left it to me in his will."

She gasped with surprise and exclaimed, "I didn't know! Oh, what a shame." Deep sorrow shot through her. How she wished she could have been here, to say her final goodbye to the wonderful man and offer her support to her friend. It wasn't hard to miss the pain that briefly filtered through Dan's dark eyes.

Mart broke in to break the uncomfortable silence. "You know Mr. Maypenny, Trix. He didn't want a big fuss made. There was only a small funeral for his friends and for his nephew and no obituary in the paper. It was very fitting, just the way he wanted it."

"That's why I didn't know." When Dan and Jim looked confused, she admitted in a halting voice, "When I lived in Connecticut, I checked the papers all the time for news of everyone in Sleepyside. I cut out everything I could find. Maybe it was a little morbid of me but I started a scrapbook of everyone here." There was a small pause before she admitted in a small voice, " It was the only way I could have a little bit of home."

Jim felt the anguish that she tried in vain to hide. He reached under the table and squeezed her hand, giving her the only comfort that he could for the many lonely days and nights she had to experience through no fault of her own. She turned her hand over and held on to his tightly, not letting go. That was good enough for him. He didn't let go either. Her small hand was a perfect fit for his much larger one.

Dan and Mart eyed each other, quickly becoming aware that something was going on between their former co-presidents. Breaking yet another period of silence, Dan shook his head and hooked a thumb towards Jim, thinking that he may be able to pull the silent man into the conversation. "Jim here has helped me fix up the cabin. We've added a lot to it so that it's bigger than it used to be. There are a few more rooms and a much larger porch to it now."

"It is extremely pleasing to the eye," Mart added, calling on his large vocabulary. "I find it difficult to remember it in its rustic state."

Dan and Trixie both groaned. Dan tried yet again to pull Jim into the conversation. "Speaking of the cabin, I don't think you have ever given me a bill for all the work you did." It was a situation he brought up frequently with Jim. He eyed him intently.

Jim finally spoke. "And you'll never get one," he declared with finality. They'd been over it before. "You know all I've ever wanted is for your help on jobs that require more than one person. Other than that, we're square."

"That sounds like a good deal," Mart put in. "A large and charming abode for a few hours of manual labor. You can't get that deal just anywhere, Dan."

"Only in Sleepyside." The talk of his cabin brought up a subject that had him wondering. He turned to Trixie. "What are you doing about your house in Connecticut? Call me crazy, but I'm assuming you're not moving back there."

"Oh, no," she said with a quick shake of her head that sent her curls bouncing in different directions. She didn't hear Jim's quiet relieved sigh. It had been a small worry in the back of his mind. "I've already put it on the market. It was one of the last things I did before I headed back. The papers are signed and everything. All I need now are for the offers to start rolling in and for someone to buy it. It is a very nice house. Are you interested?" she asked with a deceptively innocent smile.

Dan tapped the table as Mike laid their meals down in front of them. "Let me see. An hour commute to work on the highway versus a ten minute drive on quiet country roads." He pretended to consider it before giving a sage nod. "I don't see the benefits of it, no matter how nice the house is."

"I'm sure the house is stuffed with furniture and assorted other objects. You always were quite the packrat at home and managed to stuff a lot of junk in that tiny closet in your bedroom. What are you doing about that?" Mart inquired between bites of his delicious hamburger.

"I was able to get a good bit of it packed up before I headed out. Not all of it, though. It's rather hard to pack with a very curious three-year old running around." It had been amusing to watch Lexie skirt from room to room, demanding to know why there were so many boxes and why their things were being placed in them. She had intentionally not packed up Lexie's books and toys, not sure how her little one would have reacted to that "Before I left, I asked one of my neighbor's to see about finishing the rest. She has two teenagers in high school who love to earn extra money. I think they want to buy a car. Anyway, I left her a key and some money so I don't have to go back and do it." She held up her cell phone. "I got a text from her this morning saying that they are nearly done and that they should be completely finished by the weekend."

Dan had seen her closet at Crabapple Farm before. Mart had taken him in one day to show him during their teenage years when Trixie had been riding with Honey. It had astonished him that she could fit so much in a tiny little place. He could only imagine what she had managed to fill up an entire house with. He knew what she was capable of hoarding away. "Where are you going to keep all the furniture and assorted extra stuff?"

"At first I thought about the barn at Crabapple Farm but then I thought I'd give our father a heart attack." She rolled her eyes. "There really is a lot stuff. It would take up too much room. So I called a mover earlier today who's going to pick it up on Tuesday and deliver it all to a storage place in White Plains. No more worries. It'll be nice to have all that taken care of."

Jim listened in, quietly finishing his meal, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind, and a smile that could only be termed diabolical dancing across his lips. He would need time to perfect it but it certainly had promise. He tried to look at it from all angles, to mentally examine the flaws and fix them if there were any. Satisfied that he could easily make it work, he drained the rest of his soda. If it all worked out the way he wanted it to, the results would be spectacular for him, Trixie and Lexie. His eyes slitted towards an unsuspecting Trixie who was laughing at something Dan had said. He knew she would be furious but it would be worth it.


	33. Chapter 33

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jim looked out the living room window and bit back a sigh. Still nothing. Not that he had expected anything else. It was still much too early. He turned away, attempting to find something to keep his suddenly restless energy busy. There was nothing he could do but pace. He strode the length of the living room twice, hands in his pockets, and then he made it to the end of the long hallway, into the sunny kitchen. He nosed his way through his cupboards and pantry, thinking that food would help pass the time, but nothing looked appetizing. He finally settled on a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

One more glance at the clock told him it was still too early. He had at least an hour more to wait, maybe longer. There had been no guarantee that the truck would be here by ten o'clock, just a roundabout guess. Expecting them to be earlier was highly unlikely. He shut the kitchen door with a bang and settled on the porch railing, pondering how the hell he was going to make it through.

He decided to think about the past seven days. Seven days of a mixture of absolute bliss and delicious torture. It had been a full week since Trixie had arrived back in Sleepyside, a week full of dead dreams that had been awakened by a sudden burst of unexpected charity from fate. The week had gone by in a blur. He had spent as much time as he possibly could with Trixie and Lexie. They had spent one morning painting Lexie's room the prettiest shade of blue, another afternoon attempting to child-proof the house. She'd been right, he realized with a wry chuckle. It had been much more difficult than he had expected to attach those plastic safety clips. He could still hear her laughter at his expense as she watched him attempt to do it. There had also been meals here, at Crabapple Farm and at Manor House. It was obvious to him that both families had absolutely fallen in love with Lexie and she with them. "What a week," he said aloud and took another sip of water.

"Talking to yourself again?" Dan asked from the doorway.

Jim turned to look at him. He was early. Not that he was ever late. Now if only everything else went according to schedule... "I'm a great conversationalist."

Over the past week Dan had seen his friend turn back into himself and not the ghost who had haunted Sleepyside for the past few years. He wouldn't have used the word 'hermit' to describe him ever again. There was no doubt who was responsible for the change. He held up a glazed doughnut. "I hope you don't mind but I helped myself on the way through the kitchen."

"Be my guest." Jim made the offer with a small grin.

After nearly demolishing the delicacy, Dan dropped onto the plastic lawn chair. It seemed Jim had bought stock in the items, he thought dryly, picturing the lawn chairs that served as his living furniture and were also in his workshop. "I noticed that you have a lot more supplies than usual in the kitchen. I wouldn't be surprised if you suddenly find yourself having more guests than normal." Jim's appalling lack of food and drink, as well as appropriate places for sitting and visiting, had been a deterrent for much of his family and friends to spend a prolonged visit, which had been his intent to begin with.

"Me neither." Once his plan was put into motion he would bank on it. The house would come alive and finally be able to live up to its promise.

Dan wiped his fingers on his denim shorts. When his friend had asked him for help on his day off, he hadn't hesitated. Here he was, ready to work. "Well, you told me to be here by ten but you neglected to tell me what we'd be doing. Where are we heading to today? Are we building or tearing down?"

"Right here," Jim answered firmly, staring out over his backyard.

"You're a man of few words today." Dan leaned back, studied him, and decided that Jim had an uncharacteristic aura of energy and anticipation emanating from him. What did he have in mind for the day? His police training kicked in. Something was a little different about today. He hadn't been suspicious before but now he couldn't hold those thoughts back.

"I'm simply enjoying another lovely spring morning." He forced himself to stay seated on the porch railing although the restless energy wanted to find another outlet.

"That it is," Dan replied with forced cheer. Something was definitely brewing but he couldn't put his finger on it. He tried another track to see if he could crack it. "Well, you still haven't told me what we are going to do today. Care to elaborate?"

"Elaborate," he repeated with a small chuckle. He realized what Dan was trying to do. " That's a good word. You must be spending too much time with Mart."

"Very funny. Notice you still haven't answered my question." Now he was very suspicious.

Jim grinned at him. He was satisfied with the path he had set for himself. But he was realistic enough to doubt if Dan would be. It went against his job. But Dan had been the only one who he could ask for help. He couldn't imagine what Brian or Mart's reaction would be. "We're going to be moving some things in the house today. Nothing nefarious. We're merely waiting on the goods to arrive."

"Food and now furniture." Appeased, Dan settled back and thought about getting another doughnut. "One would wonder at the sudden changes here at Ten Acres. We're not going to know what to do with you."

They heard the wheels on the driveway at the front of the house. "They're early," Jim announced with relief and shot up from his seat, eager to get the job started. He was in the house before Dan had even moved.

Dan followed at a more sedate pace. Seeing Jim as a ball of energy was unusual. He was more than curious about the items they would be moving in and why they seemed to be so important to Jim As he passed the old, beat-up recliner in the living room, he gave it a kick and muttered under his breath, "I'll bet this thing is going."

He stopped next to Jim on the front porch, both men shading their eyes and watching the large moving truck carefully maneuver its way past their trucks and towards the front porch. The truck was awfully big to be moving in a 'few' things. Then the license plates caught his attention, sent a light bulb off in his mind. He looked at Jim, his face a mixture of astonishment and horror and something dangerously close to respect. "You didn't..."

Jim's smile was cocky and swift. "I did." He pounded down the steps, two envelopes in his hand, and met the movers the second they left the truck.

Dan watched him greet the movers and hand them the envelopes, which he assumed must be full of money. He had to pry his mouth off the porch floor. He didn't know whether to be angry for Trixie's sake or impressed with Jim's cunning. He certainly hadn't predicted this or to expect his friend to have it in him. Honorable wasn't a term that fit him right now. It took a while but he got his feet to move off the porch and joined the men at the back of the truck.

"We have the furniture from the little girl's room loaded in the front, just like you requested," the head mover informed Jim after tucking his envelope into his back pocket. "We can get that moved in right away."

"That's good. We'll help you get everything moved." Jim stepped back as they opened the back of the truck. Furniture and boxes filled the truck, with hardly any room for more.

"Just a few things," Dan gritted out under his breath, shooting Jim a look that promised a multitude of questions as soon as they were alone. He also realized he had been right. Trixie was still quite a packrat.

Jim didn't care, let the sarcasm roll off of him with ease. He reached up and took down the headboard from Lexie's bed and started back into the house with it. It felt right. It felt perfect. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he had made the right choice. He couldn't imagine what the finished room would like once all of her things were placed in it.

The four men worked together, mainly silent with the occasional grunt or groan, as Lexie's room slowly filled up with her belongings. There were two dressers, two bookcases, a night stand, and the pieces to her bed, as well as a small circle table with matching chairs. The boxes of toys, books and clothes were packed towards the middle of the truck and wouldn't come out until later. When all of the furniture had been unloaded in the room, Jim set about setting the bedframe up, whistling a cheery tune that had Dan bristling.

Dan shut the door for privacy, ready for the privacy. "What the hell is this all about, Jim?" burst out of him like a bullet out of a gun.

"I would think it's pretty obvious," he answered easily as he dropped the mattress on top of the put-together bed. "I'm moving Trixie and Lexie in."

He was dumbfounded. He looked at Jim like he had grown two heads over night. It took a moment before he could formulate the question."Do they know you are doing this? Call me crazy but I think that's something you generally ask someone before you do it."

Jim started arranging the furniture. It was all in matching pieces of white, exactly as he had pictures it in his mind. Completely feminine. A pure little girl's room. He avoided the question. "They are moving in."

Dan knew what that meant. "You realize this is theft, don't you?" And he was an officer of the law, unintentionally aiding and abetting. His curses should have turned the air blue around them before he regained some semblance of patience. Jim's narrowed look at the swear words in his daughter's room helped to stop him. "All right, all right. Tell me how you did it."

He positioned a lovely dresser with gold handles between two windows. It fit perfectly. "It wasn't hard. I got the number of the movers, told them I was Trixie's husband and I wanted to surprise her by having her things moved here instead of to the storage unit. They wouldn't change delivery location without her okay. Corporate policy. So I got in touch with the actual movers. Then I canceled her storage unit in White Plains and set up the delivery for today. They were supposed to make the delivery tomorrow but were willing to meet my request to change it to today."

He could only imagine the incentive to change the date. "Great. Theft and lies." It got better and better, he thought with an inward grown. He drug a hand through his thick, dark hair. "And the envelopes I saw you give them?"

"I promised the movers the same amount of money that Trixie was paying the company...under the table, of course. They didn't see any problems with bending corporate policy." It had amazed him how easily the subterfuge had worked.

"Theft, lies and bribery." He blew out a breath, unsure whether he should applaud Jim or shake some sense into him. His eyes bore into Jim's. "Trixie's not going to take this well, Jim. She could press charges, you know."

Exhilarated that things were working at just as he planned, he laughed like a loon. "She won't, you know that, Dan. Even if she was tempted to, she wouldn't. I'm Lexie's father, after all." He shrugged a shoulder. Part of him was really looking forward to her reaction. It would be a priceless one. "Sure, she'll be mad but she'll come around. That's why we're setting up this room first." He turned to study his girl's room. The smile came from somewhere deep and warm within him.

Dan let go of his frustration and looked at the room for the first time. What he saw was charming. The white furniture looked like a dream against the blue walls. It fit; there was no denying that. The white four poster bed, the matching set of dressers and bookcases were clearly meant to be displayed here. There wasn't any doubt that this room belonged to Alexis Kathryn Frayne. "Smart, real smart. I have to hand it to you, Frayne. You fight dirty." There was no way Trixie would be able to resist it.

"Only when it's this important." He went into the closet and pulled out a laundry basket. It didn't take him long at all to have fresh sheets and a blanket on the bed. He smoothed his hands over the princesses smiling back at him and thought that Lexie was going to love it. "Let's go see what else we can move."

They worked throughout the day, bringing Trixie's furniture in and slowly turning the once-empty house into a home. It was like the house had been waiting for the furniture to arrive. It accepted it, welcomed it, and almost seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the change. The house was nearly complete. Only two key ingredients were missing.

He had given in a long time ago. Jim would have to deal with whatever Trixie wanted to dish out. With that resolved, Dan set out to enjoy the physical work. He set down a box and looked at the plasma television set the workers were bringing in and let out a whistle of pure joy. "Oh baby," he crooned to it, inspecting it like it was the most precious thing in the world when the movers set it down. "I'm not doing anything else until we hook this baby up." He threw a disdainful glance at the old thirteen inch screen television set Jim owned. "It makes that thing look like a relic."

The laugh came easy. He left the room and returned with his tools. They carefully measured and leveled, making sure the prime set was attached to the wall securely and neatly.

"You have to give the Witness Protection Program their props," Dan admitted as he looked at the screen, keeping his voice low. He recalled how Trixie had told him that the entire house had been furnished when she moved in and had been left to her the day she was given back her name. "They certainly know how to set up one of their witnesses."

He found he could actually smile at the joke, mildly surprised that it didn't hurt. The healing was nearly complete, for him and for Trixie. "Lexie will like watching her movies on this much better than on my old tv."

Dan found the remote and turned on the sports channel. His face lit up with pure male enjoyment as he watched the Yankees take on the Red Sox in the first game of a double-header. "Oh, man," he sang out, clearly in heaven. "You are definitely going to be having a lot of visitors from now on."

He didn't care about the visitors. He just wanted his girls in the house. Jim left Dan staring in awe at the television set and helped the movers finish with the rest of the furniture. When all the furniture was in its place, he told the movers that they could leave. He would take care of the multitude of boxes left in the living room. A quick glance at the clock told him it was almost three. It had taken a long time to get the furniture unloaded and in the right rooms. The feeling of anticipation from the beginning of the morning hadn't left him. It had only grown as the day had gone on. He couldn't wait to see Trixie's reaction.


	34. Chapter 34

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Four

Trixie eyed the phone warily, wondering why it didn't ring. Knowing it was silly of her, she picked it up just to see if it had a dial tone. Of course it did. Releasing a small groan, she put it back in its cradle and stared at the clock. 2:45. Almost the entire day had gone by and she hadn't heard from him yet. He had mentioned the evening before that he had a job to do but she figured it would have been done by now or that she would have at least talked to him. It was the first time all week that they hadn't at least chatted by now and made some kind of plans for the late afternoon or the evening. She pushed aside the curtains and looked in the direction of Ten Acres, puzzled and perplexed. What could he be doing? Was he even there? Her fingers itched to dial his number but something held her back.

Helen watched her unobtrusively from the hallway. It wasn't hard for her to figure out the thoughts that were reeling around in her daughter's mind. She had the same thoughts in hers although she was willing to give Jim the benefit of the doubt. He was clearly devoted to his daughter, as well as to Trixie. No worries there. She rattled her glass of water, hoping the clink of the ice would alert Trixie to her presence and give her time to compose herself. It did, she noted with approval. "Hi, Trixie," she said as she entered the living room.

Trixie jolted, then pasted a smile on her face in an attempt to look normal but it didn't quite reach the sapphire blue of her eyes. "Hi, Moms. Is Lexie up from her nap yet?"

The question couldn't have been timed better. At that moment an upstairs door creaked open. A pair of sturdy legs could be heard pounding down the upstairs hallway and then down the stairs. The giggle wasn't forced. It was real. "I guess that answers my question," Trixie replied drily.

Lexie burst into the room with the force of a hurricane, refreshed from her nap, and ready to take on anything. She barreled into her mom's arms and announced loudly, in case she didn't realize it, "I'm up from my nap!"

"I can see that," Trixie held on tight and murmured into her ear. "Was it a good one?"

"The best, Mommy! I slept very well." She hadn't yet hit the stage where she refused a nap. Naps were still a welcome part of her routine. Twin dimples winked, framing her whimsical smile, "I dreamed about the flower garden we made today."

Moms smiled. It had been her idea to give Lexie a small corner of the yard. The three of them had worked hard for most of the morning, digging up the grass and planting seeds of different varieties of flowers. The rules hadn't been adhered to. With a characteristic nod to her age group, Lexie had cheerfully sprinkled seeds here and there, without any regards to the written directions on the tiny packets. Much different than how she liked to garden. Moms was looking forward to seeing the results. "That was lot of fun, Lexie. How about we go water the garden?" A squeal of delight was her answer.

She took Lexie to fill up a watering can. Trixie waited for them on the porch, trying her best not to look towards Ten Acres. Yet again, she failed. When they came back out, Lexie talking a mile a minute, she took her daughter's hand and they walked over to the newly planted flower garden. Lexie wasted no time giving the garden a generous dose of water. Trixie ended up gently guiding her hand when it looked like only one small part of the garden would get watered.

Moms glanced down at the end of the driveway in time to see the mail truck drive away. She gave a nod, thinking it was just the thing to help keep Trixie's overly active mind occupied. "Why don't you two take a walk down to get the mail?"

A distraction was just what she needed. She didn't hesitate. "Let's go, Lex!" Trixie announced firmly. She walked, Lexie scrambled the entire way down the long driveway.

Along the way Lexie stopped to pick a bunch of wildflowers She held the mangled bouquet up to her mom. The stems of most of the pretty posies were bent. She picked out a pretty blue flower and handed it to Trixie. "Mommy, this is for you. It's your fav'rite color."

"Thanks, sweetie." Trixie accepted the blue blossom, stuck it behind her ear and give a sweet kiss on the edge of her daughter's nose. "Now, we're getting close to the end of the driveway. There could be cars on the road. It can be dangerous. You need to hold my hand the rest of the way, okay?" Staring at her intently, Lexie held out her small hand and complied.

When they reached the mailbox, Trixie lifted her up and let her open it. It took a few attempts but Lexie eventually pulled out the small mound of mail, her flowers falling forgotten to the ground in the allure of something new and different. "Good for you, Lex," she congratulated her with a laugh and a tight hug.

Lexie clutched the mail to her chest as it threatened to spill out of her chubby arms, proud of her accomplishment. An envelope dropped. Trixie leaned down to pick it up, being sure to keep one arm on her daughter's shoulder protectively. She looked up as the sound of a loud vehicle announced its arrival. "Move back," she ordered quietly and pushed her gently further into the driveway, well off the road and into certain safety. Even though they were far enough back from the road, she still placed her body in front of Lexie's.

A large moving truck barreled down the road, moving at a much faster clip than it should for the posted speed limit on the quiet country lane. Frowning with indignation, she watched it drive past. But her annoyance was rapidly forgotten as she read the name of the company on the van. It sounded vaguely familiar to her. Lost somewhere in her memory, she couldn't quite place it. Then she glanced at the license plates. Connecticut, she thought. A moving truck on Glen Road from Connecticut. Not only a moving truck on Glen Road from Connecticut but it had come from the direction of... The only logical conclusion refused to form in the muddle that was suddenly her brain. All she could do was stare after the truck, her face tilted to the side and her mouth open. It took Lexie tugging on her hand to jolt her back to the present.

"Let's go, Mommy. We need to get the mail to Grandmoms." With childlike innocence she started back up the driveway, dragging her reluctant mother with her, and completely unaware of the preoccupation that had a stranglehold on her mother.

Trixie sent one last narrowed look down Glen Road. If she hadn't missed her guess that van had come from...and then the truth slapped her viciously in the face, shaking her free from the confusion that had reigned supreme. Feet rooted to the spot while she comprehended what had happened. It took a while for her shock to settle. Once it did, beautiful blessed anger started to flourish and grow, sending sparks shooting out of her eyes.

Lexie was oblivious to it all. She tugged on her mom's hand again, forcing her to move. She wailed, "Come on, Mommy. We're gonna be late." Trixie's feet followed of her own accord. She did her best to compose her features into some semblance of normalcy. The last thing she wanted to do was frighten her daughter.

Helen met them in the yard, eyes only on her granddaughter who was running towards her with an armful of mail. Helen stifled a giggle as letter after letter fell to the ground. "Good job, ladies. You got the mail."

Trixie was already preparing for battle. "Moms, I need to take care of something." Her voice sounded foreign to her, thicker than normal. She worked harder to keep her tone normal. She gave Lexie a meaningful look. "I'll be back in a bit. Is that okay?"

Helen was already kneeling in front of Lexie, gasping over the mail as if it were the biggest treasure she had ever received, and quietly reaching for the pieces that hadn't survived the race. She waved a hand, unaware of the turmoil swirling throughout her daughter, and correctly guessed that she wanted to visit Jim. "Go to it, dear. I think I'll be able to manage quite nicely here."

That was all she needed to hear. She whirled on her heel and stomped her way out of the yard and up the path. The fury swiftly built within, an undeniable tempest resembling the strongest of tornados. When she burst through the woods and onto the front yard of Ten Acres, it was blazing through her. A petite mound of unreleased fury, she stormed her way onto the porch and sailed through the front door. It slammed behind her with a satisfying bang, announcing her sudden arrival.

Startled, Dan glanced up from the very familiar sofa, a can of soda in his hands and a bowl of chips on his lap. He had stopped moving boxes earlier, giving in to the lure of the television and the baseball game. Jim hadn't seemed to mind that he had lost his help."Oh, hey, Trixie," he muttered with a sudden guilty look. After all, he was sitting on her _sofa_, watching her _tv_, and if he didn't miss his guess, she didn't look very pleased about it.

She eyed him, but then casually dismissed him. He was obviously a lackey in this rather diabolical game and not worth her time right now. Attacking him wouldn't give her much pleasure at all. She had a bigger fish to fry. "Where is he?" came out through gritted lips.

Dan shrugged. He honestly didn't know, although he wouldn't want to be in Jim's shoes right now. "Somewhere, I guess. I stopped helping awhile ago. I've been watching the game." He reached over the back of the overstuffed sofa and sent her a lazy grin that he hoped would defuse a little of her anger. "That's a hell of a tv you've got there, Trix."

That didn't appease her, only sent more flickers of ire dancing in her eyes. "Thanks," she responded sardonically. She took in the mountain of boxes that were stacked neatly in the living room. Words were splashed across the sides, announcing what each container held, as well as names. Her name and Lexie's name. The living room furniture was placed artfully around the room, adding a homey ambiance that the room had been dreadfully missing, even with the boxes and boxes of clutter around it. She refused to acknowledge the rightness of it all.

A cheerful whistle could be heard from the staircase. It was time. A small satisfied smile twisted her lips. She turned towards the sound, body taut as a string on a bow, and prepared to do battle. Her fingers flexed. Trying hard to keep the grin off his face, Dan sat back and prepared to watch the show.

Jim took the steps two at a time and came to a jarring halt when he saw her in the doorway. It didn't surprise him that she would have figured it out, that she would arrive before he could have invited her over. He briefly wondered how she had puzzled it out before their eyes met and held; his warm and welcoming, hers annoyed and flashing fire. She looked magnificent, her small fists clenched at her side and her body drawn into rigid lines, and reminded him of a diminutive goddess ready to lay a mere mortal low for daring to look at her. Already settled on his course, he threw her an easy smile like he didn't notice that she was fuming and casually picked up a box. "Good of you to come and help out, Trix. Grab a box."

She watched, eyes flaring with disbelief, as he calmly went back up the stairs with her box. Slapping a hand on her hip, she turned to Dan and growled lowly, "Can you believe that?"

After today there wasn't much that Jim could do that would surprise him. It seemed that Mr. Honorable was long gone, as far as he was concerned. He couldn't wait to tell the others about the day's events. "I'd go upstairs if I were you," he suggested helpfully.

She grumbled incoherent words, grabbed a box marked _Trixie's clothes _and stomped her way up the stairs. Her footsteps echoed throughout the house, making Dan laugh in glee. He knew he should leave but nothing could have pried him from this spot. His fingers turned down the volume and he cocked a curious ear towards the stair, the ball game forgotten. He only hoped that their voices were loud and clear.

Jim couldn't help but hear the sound of her footsteps. He raised an eyebrow when she made it to the second floor. "Good. You got a box." Now that the time had come he couldn't have been more delighted. She was adorable when she was angry. He hid a smile of pure male contentment.

Walking right up to him, toe-to-toe, she wasted no time and pushed it firmly into his hands, making him take two steps back with the force of it. "Here. Take it." Didn't say anything else, just glared at him, and pulled her lips into a thin line. She was not amused and waited for him to say something about the entire debacle.

He brazened it out, just as he knew he would have to do, and shifted the box to his hip. Reading the name on the side of the box, he informed her quietly, "I think this is yours. Let's go put it in your room." He had known better than to force her into sharing his room and had settled her bedroom things in a room down the hall. But he had no doubt that would eventually happen. He would make sure of it. For now, she would need her own neutral corner.

"My room?' she growled out in frustrated sarcasm, only to see his wide back. Her anger didn't seem to phase him, continued to bounce off of him and made her either want to pull her hair out or throw something at him, preferably big and heavy so that it could knock some sense into his red head. Left with no other course, she followed him to a room directly across from Lexie's, ready to scream.

"I figured you'd want to be close to Lexie," he explained with that same damn cheerfulness that grated on her nerves and waved his arm at the room. "So I set up your bedroom in here. You have very nice furniture, by the way." He pointed to Lexie's door like she was a preschooler herself. "Lexie'll be right across the hall from you."

Hands on her hips, she gave the room a quick, cursory glance. Her familiar bedroom furniture was proudly displayed, as well as a few unopened boxes and tubs that she knew held her clothes and assorted belongings. She gave a reasonable attempt at counting to ten, but only made it to seven. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing?" exploded out of her.

He was impressed it had taken this long for her to yell. He decided to brazen it out. Raising his eyebrows, he replied in an extremely calm voice one would use with an unruly child, and declared, "I think it would be fairly obvious by now, Trixie."

Her foot started tapping. "Enlighten me," she bit out and brushed a stray curl out of her eyes. She wanted to watch him, to see him squirm under her direct gaze.

He didn't squirm, the frustrating man. He only smiled at her and continued to ignore her wrath. "You're moving in. And so is Lexie." His tone was final, showing that he wouldn't accept any type of an argument to the contrary. Those words brought a spurt of pleasure through him despite the angry glare that threatened him bodily harm at the first opportunity. "Welcome to Ten Acres."

She was left staring at his back again. Her mouth dropped open and ran her fingers through her curls. The situation was too absurd, beyond absurd. She released a small set of curses and then sprinted to catch up to him. She grabbed his arm at the top of the stairs, stopping him from leaving. "I think we need to talk about this, Jim," she said through clenched teeth with what she prayed was a reasonable attempt at calmness.

He inwardly cheered her attempt. He knew the effort it cost her and rewarded it with the truth. She wouldn't be able to argue with the truth. Emerald green eyes peered deeply into hers as he murmured, "I want you here, Trixie. I want both you and Lexie here."

The look stopped her cold, took the edge off her anger, and allowed some of the tenseness to leave her body. She dropped her hand from his arm. It took a moment but she replied, some of the haughtiness out of her voice "You know, someone typically asks someone about this."

"There's nothing typical about our situation," Jim answered back meaningfully. Believing that said it all, he went back down the stairs.

She was left again shaking her head. Rolling her eyes, she walked back down the hallway. She stopped in her 'room' again, finding the entire situation ludicrous and beyond her wildest of imaginings. Remembering what he said about Lexie's room, she turned around. The door was half-closed. Biting her lip, she hesitantly pushed it open and looked inside. Her heart tumbled almost painfully at the sight that awaited her.

"Oh," came out on a long, extended breath. "Oh, my." It was beautiful. It was perfect. And it was so right. She couldn't deny it, would never be able to despite the suddenly fading fury that had driven her to Ten Acres. Her eyes couldn't take it all in fast enough. The radiant blue walls. The charming white four poster bed with the smiling princess parading across it. The matching bookcases and dressers. It was glorious and so very easy to fall in love. She couldn't fight it, wouldn't fight it, and felt a deep, lovely sigh from somewhere deep within her. Lexie was going to absolutely love it.

On shaking legs, she slowly knelt down near the bookcase, running her hands across the wood she had painstakingly painted herself a year and a half ago. Then she pulled over a box marked _Lexie's books_. The tape ripped easily as she tore into the box. The books stared back, practically begging to be taken out of the box and put back in their rightful place back on the shelf. She took small handfuls of them and placed them neatly on the empty shelf. It felt amazingly good to see the familiar books, almost like she was greeting old friends again. Lexie loved having stories read to her. A slow smile started to float across her face, blooming in its intensity with each handful of books, until it fully blossomed. She hated to admit it, even to herself, and would rather have wallowed in her fury for a while longer, but she was absolutely delighted by the unexpected turn of events. She would have preferred a little input on the matter...but she couldn't deny it. To her, the outcome was truly wonderful. She was going to live at Ten Acres. With Lexie. And with Jim. The smile touched her eyes. What could be better than that?

As he cautiously came back up the stairs, he heard a noise coming from Lexie's room. Peeking his head around the door, he watched her at her task. He wished he could see her face but her back was to him. Hoping it was a good sign that she was unpacking their daughter's things and not looking for something to throw at him, he backed away on soundless feet and dropped off his latest armload in her room. Jim threw one last glance at Lexie's room as he went back downstairs, his steps lighter and experiencing the purest feeling happiness that he could ever remember.


	35. Chapter 35

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Five

Dan flicked off the tv and headed out the door with a slight sigh of disappointment. The first game of the double-header was over. The Red Sox had beaten the Yankees which was reason enough for him to be disappointed. He could only hope that the Yankees pulled through in the second game. Add to that the fact that he hadn't been able to hear anything of what was happening on the floor above him and he was doubly disappointed. Lifting an eyebrow, he muttered softly, "I thought I'd have at least heard something by now." Trixie hadn't screamed bloody murder or broken something, both likely predictions. Maybe she was mellowing with age. With a shake of his head he was out the door and at his truck.

He slipped on his sunglasses and started the truck. The melodious sounds of Tom Petty's _I Won't Back Down_ chirped out of his cell phone as he pulled out of the driveway. "Hey," he answered, his mind still on Ten Acres.

"Hey yourself," Mart quipped back. "Haven't heard from you all day, Mangan. I thought this was your day off."

Dan's grin was quick and easy. Wait until you find out what I was doing today, he thought to himself and pictured Mart's reaction. It would be priceless. He wanted to be there to witness it. He cleared his throat and searched for the right words. It took him a few seconds but he decided upon, "Jim needed some...assistance this morning on a job that turned out to be bigger than I expected. I've finished with my end of it. He seems to have the rest of it under control so I'm on my way home."

"That's great!" Mart replied cheerfully, unaware that Dan was trying hard to stifle his laughter on the other end. "It turns out that today is one of those rare days when all of B.W.G.'s are off work at the same time. Di's planned a dinner for all of us. She's already invited Brian and Honey over. They're on their way over as we speak. I think Honey's bringing fried chicken from the Manor House. My beautiful wife put me in charge of tracking down you, Trixie and Jim, and getting you over here while she finishes making the salads. Macaroni, potato, and fresh vegetables. Three of my favorite types of salads. So, what do you say? Want to come over for some fried chicken?"

"I never turn down free food," he retorted with a chuckle. "I'd be glad to. I can't think of a place I'd rather be than at your house right now, especially with the rest of the Bob-Whites there." He glanced down the road and saw Mart's driveway looming ahead. How perfectly perfect, he thought with a nod to Honey's favorite phrase. "In fact, I'll be there in about three minutes. Is that soon enough?"

"Excellent!" Mart beamed, pleased that he had one third of his chores done. He counted the next two on his fingers. "That means I need to get my sister and Jim next. Hopefully they'll bring Lexie. Jake loves her. He can't stop watching her when they're together. I'll give them a call and then we'll..."

"You know, I'd recommend not doing that right now," Dan interrupted casually, his lips turning up at the corners into an amused smile. His carefully chosen words carried an underlying meaning that Mart immediately picked up on. "I think the two of them are rather busy right now."

Suspicions were aroused, swirled through him, and demanded swift answers. His blue eyes narrowed and he barked out, forgetting to his overly large vocabulary, "What do you mean, Dan? Why are they busy? And what do you know that I don't, Dan?" He ran out of breath and then ordered, frustrated, "You'd better spill it. I want to know."

"In a few minutes, Mart. This is a story that everyone's going to want to hear." Dan heard Mart curse as he turned off his cell and chuckled to himself. It was going to be better than he had hoped. He could tell all the Bob-Whites about his day in one fell swoop. True to his word, he was at the cottage in exactly three minutes. He pulled his truck next to Brian's Explorer and got out. He wasn't surprised to see Mart on the porch, watching him carefully. He strolled nonchalantly across the front yard to annoy him.

Mart didn't waste any time. He hissed out at him the second he stepped foot on the front porch."What do you mean? What are Jim and Trixie doing? Why didn't you want me to call them?"

Dan held up his hands to ward off the questions. "Have a little patience, Mr. Belden," he shot back with remarkable calm. His line of work had trained him well on handling disgruntled and disagreeable people. At the moment Mart Belden qualified for both. "Like I said a few minutes ago, this is a story that everyone needs to hear. I think you'll find it as fascinating as I do."

Mart curled his lip but was left with no other option. He followed his friend inside the cottage. He heard his brother greet the newest arrival but didn't acknowledge it, too curious about the story that Dan had to tell. He couldn't begin to imagine what it could be.

"Hello, Dan." Honey called out from the hallway, having delivered the fried chicken and helped set the table. She looked refreshing in a pretty soft pink cotton dress. Her eyes scanned the room, noting the two not in attendance. She frowned slightly. It had been the plan to get everyone together. "Where's Trixie and Jim?"

"Oh, they're a little busy right now," Dan answered easily with a pointed look at Mart who looked ready to scream. "I don't think they'll be able to make it."

Di's voice sang out from the kitchen before Honey could ask anymore questions. "It's time to eat, everyone. Come on in to the kitchen!" Jake's happy gurgles floated back from the kitchen. It sounded like he was trying to copy his mother.

They entered the kitchen and filled up the seats around the large, round kitchen table. Mart watched as food was piled high on plates, drinks were poured, and an easy conversation flowed around the table. His plate remained curiously empty, as did his glass, and he did not add a word to the conversation. He missed Di's concerned look before he couldn't stand it any longer. His friend was being damned irritating. "All right, Dan!" he finally exploded. The conversation ground to a halt as all eyes focused in on him, baffled and bewildered. "What the hell do you know?"

"Mart! Don't swear in front of the baby!" Di admonished him, her pretty lips pulled down into a frown. She covered Jake's ears as if that could protect him from the already spoken word.

Dan finished a piece of fried chicken and decided now was a perfect time to share his story with his friends. He spent an inordinate amount of time wiping his hands on his napkin before saying, "What Mart is so eloquently requesting is my knowledge of Trixie's and Jim's whereabouts and the reason why they are absent and not partaking in this sumptuous feast."

Honey choked out a giggle. "Now I know you've been hanging out with Mart for too long. You even sound like him now, Dan." She raised her glass in a salute. Dan nodded regally back.

"Ha, ha," Mart said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the pair of them and not finding it particularly amusing. "Let's get back on track here, guys. If you would all start paying attention you would see that our man Dan here has some information he is simply dying to tell us about. And, if you had superior journalistic instincts like me, you would know that the information is about our missing friends."

Brian put down his drink and aimed a considering look at Dan, who did look a little odd. Since it concerned his sister and his best friend, he sided with Mart. His dark eyes leveled on his friend. "Let's hear it, Dan," he requested quietly.

Dan drained his soda and leaned back in his chair, preparing to astonish his friends with his story. "Well, it all started the other day when I got a phone call from Jim. He wanted to know if I had today off, which I told him I did," he added in an aside.

"I'd speed things up a little bit," Di suggested helpfully when her husband made a snarling noise. She watched him warily out of the corner of her eyes and patted his hand hesitatingly.

"All in good time," Dan insisted with a teasing glint to his dark eyes. Poking fun at Mart was always fun and intrinsically rewarding. "As I was saying, Jim needed some help for a job he had to do today. Wanted me to meet him at Ten Acres but didn't tell me what the job was. So, I showed up this morning on time, expecting to maybe help him tear something down or get a load of lumber or something along those lines, you know, the usual type of work I help him with, and..."

Honey covered a laugh with a pretend cough. Mart was starting to sputter and turn red with impatience. She took pity on her brother-in-law and encouraged Dan with the famous tact she was renowned for, "I believe Di's right, Dan. It might be best to get to the point."

"It turned out he wanted me to help move some furniture into Ten Acres." Dan intentionally shared the smallest bit of information to see how everyone reacted.

"That's it?" Di was clearly disappointed. She turned back to Jake, offering him more of his mushy orange carrots. Furniture wasn't all that interesting. She had been hoping for something more.

"About time," Brian replied immediately. He thought about the barren house on top of the hill. Twenty-eight hundred square feet of practically nothing. "Ten Acres has been an abysmal place to visit. It's our collective last choice for a get-together. It could certainly use a few homey touches. I think it's good that Jim's finally taking an interest in decorating the place. I'm happy for him."

Honey clapped her hands, pleased for her brother. She thought it was an excellent start. "That's perfectly perfect. I've wanted Jim to get some things for the house for the longest of times." Her eyes went big as she pictured the furniture in her mind. "What type of furniture did he get? Did he get enough to fill up a certain room or just a few pieces?"

Mart released a loud groan of dissatisfaction and threw up his hands. "You have got to be kidding me, Mangan. All your annoying build-up for this? Furniture is what's keeping Trixie and Jim? What are they doing, trying to figure out where to put the sofa and matching chairs?" he complained sullenly. Interest waning, he reached for the fried chicken and started loading up his plate after aiming one last glare at Dan for good measure.

"I may have forgotten one piece of information." Dan admitted with a rueful grin. He waited until Mart had finished fixing his plate and had taken a drink of his iced tea before he dropped his bombshell. Eyes deceptively innocent, he asked offhandedly, "By the way, did I forget to mention that he now has a house full of furniture? Or that he had the movers drop all of Trixie's things from Connecticut at his house this morning? Oh, and that he did it without her knowledge?"

Silence, utter silence, except for the sound of Mart choking on his iced tea. Even Jake was eerily quiet as everyone digested the news. Dan knew he would remember the moment for the rest of his life. The differing shades of shock and awe on the faces of his friends around him was hysterical. Just as he had predicted, it was priceless.

"He did what?" Mart yelled when he could speak again, causing Jake to release a scared cry and Di to look at him reprovingly. She took him out of the highchair and settled him on her lap, calming him while Mart flushed and muttered an apology.

"I'm sorry," Honey apologized to Dan. She carefully laid down her spoon and folded her hands in her lap, the perfect lady of the manor. "I think I may have heard you wrong. Did you just say that Jim moved Trixie's things into his house?"

"Hijacked is a more apt term. The way I figure it he broke at least three laws, if Trixie was interested in pressing charges. Of course, I would have to be arrested, too, so I hope she has a forgiving nature." Dan answered with an amused grin. Damn but it was funny to see their reactions. He felt blessed to have been the only one at Ten Acres to have witnessed it firsthand.

"Jim? My brother, Jim?" Honey screeched, her voice loud and shrill. She couldn't picture her brother doing anything so reckless and unexpected. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. "You have got be kidding me, Dan. There is no way my brother did that."

"He did it, Honey. He really did. I was there. I helped move the furniture in." He held her eyes and saw her slowly start to believe. "Trixie was furious when she found out. I don't know how she figured it out. All of a sudden she was throwing open the front door. I was sitting on the sofa, watching her tv. It's a beauty, by the way." When four pairs of eyes demanded more story and less commentary, he continued, "Trixie stomped upstairs after him with murder in her eyes. I haven't seen her since. Jim came back down every now and then to get more boxes to bring upstairs so I am relatively sure she didn't maim him. At least, not yet." He rolled a shoulder and admitted, "I'm not certain what's going on over there now but that's why I thought it would be a good idea to not invite them over. They may have some other issues to iron out. I doubt if they would have been the best of company."

The silence was broken by great guffaws of laughter. All heads turned to Brian who was laughing so hard that tears started to trickle from his eyes. He wiped them away and breathed in slowly. "I can only imagine what that must have been like. I don't know who to feel more sorry for. Trixie or Jim." He only laughed harder. "I wish I'd been a fly on the wall. That would have been a sight to see."

Honey reached over, rubbed his back, before she started giggling too. Now that she believed the story, she could see the humor in it. "Well, you have to admit, after almost setting the world's record for the slowest evolving romance ever, it took what, five years before he asked her out? that brother of mine is finally starting to move a little quicker. Good for him." Her rambling explanation was met with more laughter.

Except for Mart. His lips pulled back into a frown, firmly on his sister's side. "Although it would have been nice if he had at least asked Trixie before moving her in," he insisted.

"I think it's rather romantic," Di answered with a dreamy look to her eyes. She could picture the scene clearly in her mind and had a good feeling about where it would all end up for her two friends. "I doubt Trixie would see it as such but it is a grand gesture of Jim's."

His laughter finally stopped. "I'm trying to imagine what my father is going to say." Brian flinched at the thought. He couldn't imagine that his father was going to be pleased. "Jim isn't exactly his favorite person right now. According to Moms, he's on his list. I've also noticed that he tries to avoid Jim whenever possible."

"Why is that?" Di asked, surprised. She had never known Peter Belden to be anything but kind and respectful to everyone. She didn't think he had it in him to have a list, let alone that he would put Jim Frayne on it.

Mart laid his arm across the back of his chair and proceeded to elaborate on it. "It seems that our patriarch is slightly perturbed that our honorable co-president was not always so honorable with his cherished and only daughter. The living proof, of course, would be in the existence of his lovely granddaughter, one Alexis Kathryn Frayne."

Di's lovely lavender eyes flared open as it became crystal clear. "I see. Yes, that would explain it."

"Oh, oh!" Suddenly Honey jumped up from the table and ran towards the end of the kitchen. Without asking, she unpinned the Thomas Kinkade calendar from the pale blue wall and brought it back to the table, grinning broadly the entire way.

Brian's leaned forward and asked his wife curiously, "What are you doing, Honey?" He couldn't figure out why she would suddenly need a calendar.

Honey pushed aside her unfinished plate and held the calendar aloft like it was a coveted trophy. Her smile was wide and warm. "Well, it seems to me that Di and I always miss out on the fun that you boys have. We always hear about the results but we've never been invited to play along. We're not going to miss out this time." She plopped the calendar down and smoothed her slender fingers over the illuminated picture of the lighthouse on the front cover.

Di leaned forward, interested. She hadn't realized she had been left out of something. If that was case, she certainly wanted it rectified. "What do we miss out on, Honey?"

"Why, the betting pools, of course!" Honey answered triumphantly and clapped her hands. "We are finally going to be involved in one, Di."

"Has everyone gone insane?" Mart couldn't keep up. He felt like everyone was suddenly speaking a language he couldn't comprehend. First Jim had done something completely out of character and now Honey... "What are you talking about, Honey?"

"I should think it should be obvious." She took a deep breath and then announced, "We're going to set up a pool for Trixie's and Jim's wedding. We'll each pick a date and see who is the closest to the actual date."

Di sat up in her chair. "Oh, Honey. That's a perfect idea." She turned to Mart and sniffed out, "I heard about their last bet. It's a good thing you weren't in on_ that_ one. Sextuplets, indeed." She sent an arch look towards her brother-in-law. "And triplets. I wish that one on you and Honey."

Mart was grateful he had missed that one, too. Di had not been amused when she found out about it. "I think you should have first pick, Di," he offered cajolingly. "I think that will make up for it, don't you?"

Brian colored slightly and mumbled, "Sounds good to me."

Di handed Jake over to Mart and reached for the calendar. "Trixie loves the summer. It's always been her favorite season so I'm going to go with a summer wedding. It'll give her enough time to plan it." Humming to herself, she flipped through the calendar and studied the different months. She decided on July. "July 26! That sounds like a winner." She watched as Brian wrote down her choice.

"I'm next!" Honey sang out. She accepted the calendar back and agreed with Di. "Summer sounds wonderful." She recalled how long it had taken her to plan her wedding, even with her mother's help, and finally announced, "August 23. That would give Trixie three months to plan the wedding." She handed the calendar to Brian.

"Why is he next?" Mart grumbled.

"He's writing down our bets," Honey answered with a sweet smile.

Brian knew his sister wouldn't care for a big wedding. Therefore, she wouldn't need as much time to plan her wedding. :It only took a minute for him to say, "June 21."

"I'm next." Mart expertly held the calendar away from Jake's grasping fingers. "The only reason why Trixie loved summer so much is because she didn't have to go to school. We all know how much she loved school," he declared sarcastically. His fingers opened the calendar to September. "I'm going with September." He looked down the column of Saturdays before settling on September 27.

Dan didn't ask for the calendar. "I'm going for the 31st," he stated decidedly.

"The 31st?" Honey peered over Mart's shoulder. She flipped through it, scanning the pages, and frowned. His bet didn't make sense. "I don't think that's such a good date, Dan. Most weddings happen on a Saturday. And when I look at the calendar I see that the dates don't fall on a Saturday. July 31 is a Thursday. August 31 is a Sunday. And October 31 is Halloween. I can't imagine them getting married on Halloween. Anyway, it is a..."

He interrupted her explanation. "I wasn't talking about those months." Dan smiled as he clarified, "I'm going with May 31."

He brought the normally talkative group to silence once again. It had to be a record for it to happen twice in one day. Di broke it this time. "Dan, that's silly. This is Jim and Trixie we're talking about. May 31 is next Saturday. That's only 12 days away. There's no way they will get married that soon. I think Brian's pushing it with his June date." She pointed to the calendar. "I think you should pick another date." Other voices agreed with her.

Dan held out his hands to ward them off. "Hey, guys, I'd go with this Saturday but I saw firsthand how mad Trixie was. She's going to need some time to cool down first." His grin was cocky and sure. "May 31. Mark my words."


	36. Chapter 36

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Six

Two boxes of books completely emptied, Trixie pushed it aside and reached for another box. When she opened it she saw that it held a bunch of Lexie's stuffed animals. Her eyes traveled to the doorway as they had done periodically over the last hour. She had heard Jim moving around in the hallway or walking up and down the stairs but she hadn't seen him in awhile. She lifted an eyebrow. "He's probably avoiding me," she muttered lowly. Not that she could blame him. He probably thought that she was still furious with him. How was he to know that she had already made peace with his decision?

However, she wasn't sure if she was ready to let him off the hook yet. Part of her would like to see him squirm a bit before letting him know she was content with moving in. Maybe content was the wrong word. Happy, delighted, excited, delirious, could all easily have taken its place. She jolted when she felt her cell phone vibrate. Glad for the distraction, she reached into her back pocket. She flicked it open and answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Trixie, it's your mom," her mother replied cheerfully.

She felt a tug of guilt as she wondered how long she had been gone on her errand. There wasn't a clock in the room so she couldn't even hazzard a guess. "Hi, Moms," she said, too brightly. "Time seems to have gotten away from me. I'm sorry about that. I'm up here at Ten Acres. Is everything okay with Lexie?"

"Lexie's fine, Trixie. Don't worry about her," Helen answered. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but something was off with her daughter. Her mother's intuition had never steered her wrong before. "I don't mean to check up on you. I wanted to ask if you were coming home for dinner."

If her mom was asking about dinner, then it was later than she had originally thought. "Oh, dinner, right," she mumbled back absently.

"We're having BLT's tonight. It was your dad's request." Moms wanted to know what had put that absent tone to her daughter's voice but she respected her too much to force her into sharing. She decided with a frown that she would have to wait until Trixie volunteered to tell her.

Suddenly Trixie perked up. She glanced towards the door where she could hear Jim walking down the hall. Although she didn't have it in her to be as devious as Jim had been, she thought maybe, just maybe, she could even the score a little with him. "Why don't you bring dinner up to Ten Acres?" she invited warmly, a coy smile flirting across her lips. "Bring Lexie, Bobby, and Dad, too. We can have a picnic dinner up here."

"All right, dear. I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. Although Bobby won't be able to come. He's over at the Lynch's." Now Helen was really curious. Trixie was _wanting_ to have her father up at Ten Acres? "Is there anything we should know about before we arrive?"

Trixie swiftly decided it would be best for her parents if they were prepared. She opened the next box of toys and took out a smiling giraffe. "You should probably know that there are a lot more things here in the house. It's packed full with furniture and boxes now."

Bright, bright red flag. "Why is that?" Helen braced herself. She could feel it coming. She carefully put down the sharp knife she was using to slice the tomatoes, afraid she would slice her finger instead. Then she waited with baited breath for Trixie to continue.

Trixie gave her mother a moment to prepare herself before she explained, "It seems that Jim took it upon himself to move mine and Lexie's things here from Connecticut, without asking me. They came today. I'm in Lexie's room right now, putting away some of her books and toys." Trixie winced when she heard her mother's shocked gasp on the other end. "And he expects us to move in," she added in a small voice.

"Ahh...yes. It is...no, I mean,...oh...well, I am glad to know that ahead of time." She was so rarely flustered. Oh, my. Oh, no. Oh, goodness. What would Peter think? What would he do? she thought wildly. She watched him through the window where he was having the time of his life playing with Lexie, Sadie and Reddy. He looked relaxed and happy while he threw balls for the dogs to fetch. He had become much calmer about the whole situation throughout the past week, too. He didn't even mutter incoherently anymore when Jim's name was brought up. All that progress down the drain. She closed her eyes, imagining his reaction.

"We'll see you soon, then!" Trixie hung up the phone and gave a triumphant smile to the door. Maybe it was petty, maybe it was a little mean, but she wasn't going to warn Jim that her family was coming over for dinner. He would have the pleasure of finding it out for himself. She wondered what he would do when he saw her father. She found herself whistling a merry tune as she started to put familiar toys back on the shelves.

Fifteen minutes later, Helen turned Trixie's car onto the driveway to Ten Acres. The picnic basket was filled to overflowing and was packed in the back. Lexie was happily chattering away in the middle of the car, blissfully unaware of the tension coming from her grandfather. And Peter was a fuming black thundercloud ready to strike. He hadn't said one word to her since she had told him the news. She slid a glance his way and sighed. She rather pitied Jim Frayne. "We're here!" she announced as brightly as she could for Lexie's sake.

"I can't wait to see Mommy and Daddy," Lexie said as she was unstrapped from her carseat. She bounced to the ground in anticipation.

Peter was feeling a different type of anticipation. He opened the back of the car and took out the food. It felt more like a last supper than a happy family get-together. "I'll see that this gets put in the kitchen," he grimly offered.

What he meant was, I'll find Jim and corner him in the kitchen, preferably with a few sharp instruments around, Helen thought with a wry grin. It looked like it was shaping up to be quite an evening. She held on to Lexie's hand as they walked to the front porch, Peter two steps behind them and looking more menacing with each passing step.

The front door was opened slightly. Lexie sprinted through it and came to a grinding halt, excited by what she saw. She jumped up and down and pirouetted like the tiny dancer she was. She turned to her grandparents and pointed at all the furniture and boxes in the room. "Look! Daddy's fin'lly got furn'ture!" Then she saw her father coming down the stairs and she launched herself at him.

"Lexie." Jim's arms came around her easily. He buried his face in her curls, listening to her laughter, and stole a quick glance at the foreboding man who had yet to enter the house.

Helen was proud of the way Jim hid his surprise at their arrival. Having Lexie in his arms certainly helped. "Hi, Jim," she greeted him wanly. She spread her arms and informed him, "Trixie invited all of us over for dinner. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." He knew he deserved it but he hadn't thought she'd play this dirty. He could hear her coming down the stairs behind him. The large, satisfied smile on her face said it all. "I think we're even," he whispered to her.

"Not quite yet." Trixie's smile only got bigger. She took Lexie's hand and invited her blithely, "Let's take Grandmoms up to your new room. You are going to love it, Lex! We'll let Daddy and Grandpa set dinner up for us." Laughing blue eyes slid towards his suddenly pained green ones as she led them up the stairs, leaving Jim alone with her father.

No buffer. Jim felt the loss immediately. His steps were slower as he came fully into the room. It didn't look like Peter Belden was going to give an inch. He seemed perfectly content to stand on the threshold and stare at him like he was something slimy and disgusting that preferred to live under a rock. The silence stretched on as loud chortles of glee could be heard coming from upstairs. "I guess Lexie likes her room," Jim said with a small grin.

Nothing. Peter didn't even allow a ghost of a smile. In fact, his eyes seemed to get harder.

Jim bit back a swear. This was going to be about as fun as a root canal. Another long stretch of silence and then he sighed. "I guess we'd better go to the kitchen."

Peter finally moved into the room. He approached the younger man. Much like his daughter had done earlier, he forcefully shoved the picnic basket into his hands. He felt a spear of satisfaction when Jim had to take a few steps backwards. "Lead on," he ordered.

It figured that the first words he spoke were an order. Jim obeyed without question. He had to keep from looking over his shoulder as he lead the way to the kitchen. He almost expected Peter Belden to attack him. He would have to be an idiot to not feel the waves of tension and disapproval coming from the man. Oh, yes, he thought grimly. Trixie had certainly evened the score very effectively. Jim dropped the picnic basket on the kitchen table and pointed towards the pantry. "There are paper plates inside. The dishes haven't been unpacked yet."

With that simple statement he opened the floodgates. Peter didn't make a move to open the pantry. Instead, he leaned against it, arms crossed, and raised an eyebrow. "I think what you meant to say is _Trixie's _dishes haven't been unpacked yet," he corrected firmly.

He cursed the flush that stole across his cheeks but stood his ground. He had known facing Trixie's father would be difficult. Deciding not to go on the defensive which was clearly what Peter expected him to do, he settled with, "We'll unpack them soon." Needing something to keep his nervous hands busy, he started opening the picnic basket and taking out the food.

Peter had to congratulate Jim for not squirming. "All right. I see the only way I am going to get any satisfaction from you is by being direct." He ran his fingers along the counter and kept Jim within his sights. "I suppose I can expect that same from you?"

Jim refused to feel insulted against the veiled threat to his honor. He supposed that Peter had every right to his question. "Of course." He stopped taking food out of the basket and brought himself up to his full height. "You can ask me anything you want and I promise to give you a truthful answer."

"We'll start easy." Peter was starting to enjoy himself. Finally, he was able to interrogate the man without any of the other Belden females around. Helen and Trixie had been most aggravating. By some unspoken truce they had never allowed the two of them to be in the same room unattended. "What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

"I'm going to marry her." His tone was sincere, firm, and wouldn't allow any argument. He had no doubt about it. Trixie would be his wife, the sooner, the better, as far as he was concerned

Peter considered the answer, as well as the force behind it, and continued his line of questioning as if he was interviewing a potential employee for the bank. He asked in clipped, business-like tones that were designed to make the recipient nervous, "You say you want to marry my princess. Tell me why."

"That should be very obvious," Jim answered back. He refused to let the older man see that he was uncomfortable and thought about Trixie upstairs, who was probably laughing her head off at him. The damn thing was he couldn't get back at her for this.

Peter wondered what he meant by that. He speculated seriously,"You have a daughter together. That's a good reason to want to marry Trixie." Peter narrowed his gaze, studied him closely. While marrying for Lexie was certainly a good reason, it wasn't the reason he wanted to hear. He wanted more for his daughter than just family or obligation. He wanted it all.

"I can't deny that I want us to be a complete family for Lexie or that I want to add more to the family as time goes on. I think Lexie would be a great big sister. But that's not the reason why I want to marry Trixie." Jim could feel sweat breaking out. He wiped his palms on his faded jeans and felt even more uncomfortable. Both he and Trixie had not broached these serious subjects, preferring to keep things easy and comfortable between them. It felt incredibly awkward to be discussing them first with her father. He heaved a sigh and then decided that simplicity was best. "I love her."

Those three little words were what Peter wanted to hear. That was what his daughter deserved. Not ready to let Jim stop wriggling yet, he nodded in approval. "And what about this?" He motioned to the room around them, taking in the neatly stacked boxes. "Why did you decide to move her things without her knowing it? Most sane people ask before tackling a move like this."

Jim looked him straight in the eyes. "Mr. Belden, it is too important. I'm not going to give her a chance to say no. Not now, not when we get engaged again, not when we marry."

She wouldn't, Peter thought,, but then valiantly attempted to put himself in Jim's place. Too much pain and anguish, too much time apart, too much uncertainty. No small wonder Jim and Trixie both hadn't attempted to iron out their relationship status. "She can be stubborn but you know that. She won't make this easy on you."

"I believe she's already evened the score," Jim answered ruefully.

Surprisingly, Peter started to laugh. "She didn't tell you we were invited for dinner, did she?" He laughed again and reached into the pantry, his anger dissipating and his good humor restored. He didn't see Jim visibly relax behind him. After taking out the paper plates and napkins, he placed them on the kitchen table. "I must say that Ten Acres has improved a lot since the last time I visited."

"Honey has been after me for years to furnish it." Jim still kept a wary eye on the older man as he emptied the picnic basket. He set out the containers of bacon, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and rolls on the table. Next came the homemade potato salad and a bag of potato chips, all the fixings for an enjoyable family picnic.

"It's a good thing you didn't. That daughter of mine has always hoarded things. Her closet at home is atrocious. You wouldn't have had any room to move about." He started fixing his sandwich, glancing up to see if Jim had caught the meaning below his statement.

"Yeah, Mr. Belden. You're probably right about that." He was caught off-guard. Was Peter being nice to him? Even more so, did he not object to Trixie moving in with him?

"I know I am." Peter grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "Let's eat in your living room. I didn't get to see too much of the house when I first got here. I had other things on my mind." He winked at Jim. "But somehow I did manage to notice an amazing television on the wall."

Jim hurriedly finished making his plate and met Peter at the door. It felt good to talk comfortably with the older man again. "Dan was here earlier. He fell in love with it. I think he'd move in if we asked him to, Mr. Belden."

"It's Peter, Jim." He smiled warmly at Jim, all doubts gone and anger erased. He didn't have a doubt that Jim would make Trixie a very happy woman soon. She deserved it. Hell, they both deserved all the happiness they could grab."Let's go catch the end of the game. Last I heard the Yankees were up by one."

"Still a Yankees fan?" Jim questioned as they walked back down the hallway.

"Of course." Peter stopped when he saw the women headed their way. "I've never been able to convince Bobby otherwise, though. He still loves the Mets."

With her unending supply of energy, Lexie ran to the men first. She held onto her daddy's legs and looked up at him, love sparkling from her green eyes. "My room is the best, Daddy. It's beautiful. I 'dore it." She pressed a swift kiss to his knee, the tallest part of him that she could reach. "Thank you, Daddy." Jim ran a hand over her curls. Any doubts he had were gone. He knew he had done the right thing.

"It is absolutely precious," Helen added with a whimsical sigh. The room was a true little girl's paradise. She was glad to see that Jim was still alive and breathing and that her husband was his normal, relaxed self again. It looked like Peter had finally settled his issues with Trixie's man. "Lexie is going to love it in here."

Hanging back from the group, Trixie rolled her eyes. She had hoped her father would have made it really uncomfortable on Jim. Now it looked like the two of them were the very best of friends, ready to go out and watch the game together. Jim caught her eye. His satisfied smile told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Lexie, you head along with your father. We'll go get our plates and meet you in the living room. We'll see you then," Helen announced. She threaded her arm through Trixie's and brought her daughter along. Someone needed a little tender, loving care. "Don't frown so, dear," she murmured into her ear.

"I didn't want Dad to go easy on him," she grumbled back.

"I doubt he did," Helen answered knowingly. "I know my Peter. He was absolutely furious when I told him what Jim had done. In fact, I can't ever remember seeing him so furious in the entire time I have known him." She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and lifted Trixie's chin up, much like she had done when Trixie was a little girl. "I have a feeling Jim gave him the right answers." She smiled at the way Trixie's eyes popped open. "He wouldn't be this friendly with Jim if he hadn't."

Trixie watched her mom enter the kitchen. "The right answers?" she wondered aloud. She glanced back down the hallway where she could her father and Jim cheering on the game. Maybe, just maybe...she wouldn't let herself finish the fantasy but she couldn't hide the sudden wayward smile that bloomed beautifully across her face.


	37. Chapter 37

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The bright morning sun blazed through the curtainless windows. Trixie was startled awake by the brightness in her eyes. She tried to block it out with her hands but failed. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up in her bed, looking around the room. Her still sleepy brain couldn't understand why she was back in her old bed, with her old furniture surrounding her, and not in her bedroom at Crabapple Farm. And then she remembered. She was at Ten Acres. The sigh of relief blew past her lips and she flopped back against her pillows.

Her alarm clock hadn't been unpacked, was still packed somewhere deep within the many boxes littering her room, so she didn't have a way of knowing the time. Guessing it was early, she threw back the covers and walked towards the door. "I wonder how Lexie liked her first night in her new room," she mumbled as she tiptoed down the hallway. She grasped the doorknob tightly and slowly opened the door. No Lexie. The bed was in tangles, had been slept in, but did not have a little girl in it.

"Hmm," Trixie muttered with a frown. Normally when Lexie woke early, she joined her mother in bed. She glanced down the stairs but couldn't hear any noise that way. It was still silent. There was only one other place she could be. She looked at the door to Jim's room and saw that it was half-opened. She hesitated but then took a fortifying breath and peered in.

Lexie was curled up on the bed with her father, her tousled curls next to his head on the pillows. She looked adorable, her yellow head nestled close to his red one. Her arm was tossed carelessly over his chest and her legs were sprawled across his on the bed. Both were still sleeping. Jim's arm had come around Lexie's waist. Trixie wondered briefly if he knew she had joined him. The sight was sweet and proved to Trixie the undeniable rightness in the two of them moving in with Jim. She gave them a tender look before closing the door with great care. An interruption wasn't needed. She walked back to her room to get changed for the day and then headed downstairs and into the kitchen. Within minutes the smell of freshly brewing coffee was permeating the air.

It wasn't too long before she heard a set of footprints hitting the floor above her and running down the hall. She could tell that Jim's feet were much slower than the hurricane that was their daughter. She laughed into her coffee mug, recalling all of the mornings when it was only her and Lexie, and headed out to the back porch. It was an amazing feeling to have the three of them together.

A few minutes later, Jim came out onto the back porch, a mug of coffee in his hands, and his hair slightly tousled from sleep. He had hastily pulled on a pair of gray gym shorts and white t-shirt and still looked a little groggy. To Trixie, he had never looked better. "Lexie doesn't want any breakfast yet. She had me put on some show. I've never seen it before. There were four kids and some kind of a red spaceship in it. They were doing a lot singing and clapping."

Too caught up in the adorable sight of a slightly rumpled Jim, it took a moment but Trixie eventually placed the show. "Little Einsteins," she supplied helpfully. "But it's not a spaceship. It's a rocket." She reached over and tapped his knee. "Don't worry, Jim. You'll know all the shows and all the characters soon enough."

He looked forward to it. It would be fun to get to know his daughter's interests and to take part in them. He held up his mug. "Thanks for the coffee. It's much better than what I usually make."

"No problem." Trixie took a sip of her own. She set the porch swing in motion and gave an absent pat to Sadie who was resting at her feet. Sadie had acclimated herself to her new home very well. "We have a good twenty minutes before Lexie will want to acknowledge us. The world stops when one of her favorite shows are on."

Jim leaned a hip against the porch railing, took a sip of the caffeine-filled brew and felt the lingering traces of sleep leave him. It had been an amazing experience to wake up with his daughter cuddled against him. If her mother had been on the other side of him, then the picture would have been complete. He watched her over the mug, noticed the easy smile on her face and the calm lines of her body. Much different than the way she looked yesterday when she had arrived at Ten Acres with the force of an impending storm. Maybe she didn't mind living at Ten Acres. He could only hope. "I never knew you to drink coffee before," he mentioned in an effort to break the comfortable silence. "I meant to ask you that the other morning at Crabapple Farm."

"I learned quick," Trixie replied easily, no hard feelings left for Jim at all. If she had to admit it, she would have said that she was more than willing to live here. Ecstatic was a more apt term. "I needed caffeine if I wanted to survive dealing with a baby and my own sleeping issues on top of that. There were many days when I seemed to go through them in a fog, especially when Lexie was teething and not sleeping through the night. The caffeine helped." She looked at her mug and then added, knowing he wouldn't appreciate the way she took her coffee, "Although I don't drink it black like you. Two spoonfuls of sugar and a good bit of milk."

"That's disgusting!" He smirked in offended outrage for all normal coffee-drinkers everywhere. Then he remembered what she had said about her own sleeping issues and his face softened. He had them too. "You mentioned you didn't sleep well during the time you were gone when I spent the night at Crabapple Farm. Why is that?"

"It's not that hard to figure out." She arched an eyebrow but when he seemed genuinely interested, she continued, "I never felt safe after...well, after. I hated feeling scared but I couldn't help it. There wasn't anything I could do about it but try to get as much protection as I could. So I went to the animal shelter and I got Sadie right away. I thought having a dog around would help. I loved the company but having Sadie didn't make me feel that much safer. Then I had an alarm system installed but even that didn't help. I eventually came to terms with the fact that I would have to deal with not having a great deal of sleep."

He could relate, although his lack of sleep wasn't because he didn't feel safe. It was because he was lost without her. Those empty years without her were the bleakest he had ever experienced. He couldn't begin to count the number of nights he had spent out in his workshop, choosing to work over laying in his bed and staring up at the ceiling, thinking about her. His green eyes watched her closely, making her wriggle from the intensity. "Have you felt safe since you've returned home?"

She attempted to avoid the question. "Last night was the first full night of sleep I've had in a long time. Even in my room at the Farm I'd still wake up every now and then, but you know that. You saw me on the porch, that very first night."

"I'm not asking about your sleep now." He didn't let her avoid it and pressed on, "Do you feel safe here?"

Her eyes met his, held for a long moment, before she answered quietly, "Yes." She was back with Jim. Of course she felt safe, secure and protected. "Of course I do."

Jim liked her answer. She didn't say it but he knew that he was part of the reason why. His fingers ran along the edge of the porch railing while he debated about bringing up a question that had been slowly eating away at him. She was in such an agreeable mood that he made a decision to go for it. "You know, Trixie, I love the albums you put together for me of Lexie," he began casually.

"That was one of the projects I would do during the nights when I couldn't sleep." Trixie relaxed against the porch swing, grateful for an easier topic. She had never liked talking about herself. "I put together a set for you and our parents. It was fun but also a little bittersweet. I never knew if I would have the chance to give them to you or not."

It was hard to miss the wistful quality to her voice. He reached over, covered her hand with his and squeezed it. "I've looked through them all. It's hard to believe how fast Lexie changed." He wished he could have been there for it all but would settle for having the two of them in the here and now.

"I was so happy when her eyes turned green," she shared with a happy glint to hers. "I was really hoping for green."

"The ultrasound pictures were interesting. I'd never seen anything like that before." He hadn't paid much attention to Di's and Mart's when they were proudly showing the pictures around, too caught up in his own black hole of despair to really notice the life that was continuing around him. He had been merely going through the motions.

"I thought it was interesting how tiny the little baby looked like, just like a little peanut." She was surprised. It didn't hurt to talk about the faraway time. Maybe it was the fact that she was talking it over with Jim. Or maybe it was the fact that he was still holding her hand. Either way, was almost cathartic to share the memories with him.

He drew a small circle on the back of her hand. "I noticed the name on the picture," he responded idly but studied her even closer than he had before.

"Name? What name?" Trixie leaned forward, confused. "I don't remember there ever being a name on one of the pictures. I didn't name Lexie until the day she was born."

He loved the way she bit her lip when she was concentrating. He would have to ask her about the day of Lexie's birth but not right now. He had something else he needed to know. "Not Lexie's name, Trixie. Your name. The name you used when you were in hiding."

A jolt of realization shot through her. Her hand went slack under his. She pulled it back, covered her mouth, in deep thought. She hadn't told anyone her false name, hadn't even thought to bring it up, and, surprisingly enough, not one single person had asked her about it. "Oh, yes, that name." She wrapped her hands around her empty mug, suddenly finding the floor very interesting, and swung her legs nervously. Had she had any lipstick on she would have chewed it off.

Although he didn't want to bring up the pain of the time when they were apart, he had to know why she had picked that particular name. Jim left his coffee on the porch and knelt down in front of her. He took her hands off her mug and put it down next to his. Then he gently held her hands within his, unconsciously offering support while he patently waited for Trixie to meet his gaze. When she finally did, he said seriously, "You were Katie Winthrop."

She felt a blush working its way across her face. "That was my name," she retorted huskily, and slid her eyes away again.

He wouldn't let her. He gently cupped her chin and brought her eyes back to his. "Tell me why, Trixie. Those are my parents names," he explained, just in case she didn't already know that. He waited for her to say something. When she didn't, he was forced to ask, "Why did you choose them for your new name?"

She would have liked to look away from his direct gaze. It was fanciful but she imagined that he was able to look right through her and into her very soul. "I wanted Katie for your mom but you already know that," she explained haltingly and nervously wiped her hands on her knees. "It seemed like a good choice. I thought if I had to have a new name there wasn't a more perfect choice for me."

"And Winthrop? Why did you decide on that one for your last name?" he prodded gently when she stopped.

She took a deep breath. He wanted it all. He deserved it all, after everything that fickle fate had put them through. The words came out on a rush. "I wanted Frayne but they wouldn't let me use that as my last name." She saw the way the green brightened even more in his eyes. "So I went with my next-best choice. Winthrop. But that wasn't for your father, not really, or at least, not for the way you are thinking. It was for you, from your name. It was the only thing I could do to still be with you, in some little way."

To him, it was more than a 'little way'. He was touched and amazed by the sweetness of her decision. He captured her smaller hands within his and pulled her to her feet. When they were standing together, with barely an inch of space between them, and hands clasped together, he leaned forward and spoke quietly with a reverence that thrilled her, "Thank you." His hands slowly traveled up her arms, sending small arrows of awareness through her, before finally settling firmly at her waist.

She could feel it in the air surrounding them. The spark of electricity, the promise of something more than just fond looks, and the beginnings of the passion that they shared for each other. The pressure of his hands around her waist was welcomed. The way his intense green eyes seared into her was returned. Biting her lip, she took a step forward, with only the tiniest amount of space allowed between them. Her arms slowly traveled up his chest before stopping at his broad shoulders. She felt the muscles ripple under her touch and mentally prepared herself for the fall. "You're welcome," she whispered back hoarsely.

He brought his lips down to hers, hardly daring to believe that he was finally going to kiss her, really kiss her. It had been so damn long. The absence only made it sweeter, more precious, and more passionate. He fought valiantly to keep his desire in check as he slowly pressed his mouth against hers, wanting to be gentle. The kiss was tender to the extreme, just as he intended it to be, a kiss that he hoped would tell her the depths of his feelings for her in a way that words could never do. It began as a slow, lazy meeting of untainted passion, one that was filled with the hint of something fiercer and hotter bubbling just below the surface, and was a kiss as it was meant to be in its purest form.

Trixie met him, soft kiss to soft kiss, a little slowly and hesitatingly at first but with renewed vigor once she really believed she was kissing him and it wasn't one of her many dreams. She could feel the passion that was brewing between the two of them and could almost touch it as if it was a tangible thing. It didn't take long before she wanted more than the gentleness he was showing her. Her hands fisted on the material of his shirt. Standing on the very tip of her toes, she brought her mouth as close to his as she could possibly get, her mouth slanting across his as she fearlessly called for more.

Groaning at her unexpected response, he tried to regain some control of the kiss, to keep it soft and gentle and show her how much he cherished her. And he was successful. For about three seconds. But he wasn't strong enough to deny the woman in his arms anything. His restraint snapped on a loud groan. Passion, pure, fiery and free, couldn't be contained and was unleashed with the power of an unstoppable storm. His hands gripped her hips, molding her to his body, lips never leaving hers, as their tongues met, danced and dueled.

It took a minute for him to place the rapid rap-a-tap sounds coming their way. Eyes cloudy with passion, he regretfully lifted his mouth from hers. "I think our twenty minutes are up," he whispered into her ear, sending fresh shivers coursing through her. His breathing was labored as if he had just finished a five-mile run.

A small moan of disappointment was ripped from her. Her mind was blinded by desire but she heard the footsteps. Laying her head on his chest, she nodded, breathing deeply, and worked hard to regain some semblance of control. She felt his arms steal their way around her and could feel his heart beating swiftly. She imagined hers was racing on the same pace. "Our girl is like a regular clock," she managed to get out past the fading passion still clogging her throat.

Lexie burst through the screen door and barreled her way to her parents, oblivious to their preoccupation. Both of them reached down to give her the hugs she was demanding, welcoming smiles on their faces. "Good morning, Mommy!" she yelled out happily. "I watched Little Einsteins."

Trixie cleared her throat before answering, "I know." She looked back at Jim, who still had his hands on her waist. Her lips turned up at the corners. He looked more rumpled now than he had when he had came downstairs. To her, he looked delicious. "Ready for breakfast?"

He was ready for something else but supposed he would have to settle for breakfast. He made sure to keep his hand on Trixie's hip. Touching her seemed to be a necessity, as important to him as the air he needed to breathe. Their first morning in the house couldn't have been more successful, as far as he was concerned. "Let's go in, girls."


	38. Chapter 38

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Trixie trotted down the stairs two at a time, having successfully put Lexie down for her afternoon nap, and hummed quietly to herself. She came to a sudden stop in the living room. "Hey," she greeted him, almost shyly, and felt her infamous telltale blush start to work its way across her face.

He could read the emotions sliding across her overly expressive face. It wasn't too hard, since he was sure they were mirrored on his face, too. Their earlier kiss wasn't far from either of their minds, had been there all day as they had gone through the morning and early afternoon together, alternately working on emptying boxes and playing with Lexie. He took a step towards her as she moved closer to him, almost as if there was a magnetic pull drawing them to each other, only to have that pull dashed.

"Hello? Anyone home?" Honey called out loudly from the back porch. Unmindful of what she could be disturbing, she let herself in, closed the screen door behind her with a small bang, and found herself amazed at the changes in the room. It had been a skeleton of a kitchen before. Now it looked homey, warm, and inviting. After taking a moment to study the changes to the kitchen with cheerful approval, she started down the hall.

He released a pent-up breath, could feel the disappointment all the way to his toes. "I don't think it's our day, Trix," Jim murmured lowly. He reached out and smoothed a hand over her curls, loving the soft silky feel of her hair.

She felt regret shoot through her. "I guess you're right, Jim. First Lexie, now Honey," she whispered back. "It's a good thing we love them so much."

Jim chuckled and stepped back. He fished his keys out of his pocket and informed her, "I have some work to do over at Mrs. Elliott's anyway. She called earlier this morning. She has some steps on her front porch that need repaired. I told her I'd come over as soon as possible to fix them. It shouldn't take me too long. I already have the supplies that I need loaded in the truck."

"Don't worry about me and Honey. I'm sure I can find something to keep us occupied." Trixie gave a sarcastic wave of her hand towards the small army of boxes practically begging to be unpacked.

Honey paused in the hallway, delighted by the way Trixie and Jim were staring at each other. Both were smiling, obviously happy, and were very comfortable with the other. There didn't seem to be any awkwardness or uneasiness. In fact, they were very close to resembling the couple they had been before destiny had delivered them such a nasty blow. Everything seemed to be falling into place. She clasped her hands together. It wouldn't take too much longer before they were right where they needed to be. When neither noticed her, only continued to stare at each other as if they couldn't get enough, she smothered a small laugh and announced again, "Hi, Trix! Hello, Jim!"

They turned as one towards Honey, Trixie slightly embarrassed and Jim with a sheepish grin. Both had forgotten that she was there. "Hi, Honey," Trixie answered back. She brushed back a wayward curl and walked over to her friend.

Honey enveloped her in her arms. She was so pleased she felt like jumping up and down and screaming. She settled for whispering in Trixie's ear, "I'm so happy for you." Louder, she added, "I came over to see if you needed any help unpacking. I can tell from all the boxes lying around that you do."

"I see I'm leaving Trixie in good hands," Jim proclaimed to the girls. "I'll be back in a bit." With a wave he was out the door and on his way over help out Mrs. Elliott.

"Where is he going?" Honey questioned curiously although she was thankful he had left. She wanted Trixie all to herself. She had a few questions that she needed answered.

"He has a few repairs to do for Mrs. Elliott," Trixie replied and headed back into the living room. "Are you sure you would you like to help unpack? There's an awful lot," she put in warningly. At Honey's affirmative nod, she sat down in front of the entertainment center, dragged a box of movies towards her, and motioned to the multitude of boxes surrounding them. "As you can see, we have a lot of work to do. I can't imagine ever getting all of these boxes unpacked!"

"I'll say," Honey responded after a quick glance around the room. It looked foreboding. She gave a small shiver, imagining what the other rooms looked like. If they resembled anything like the living room, then Trixie could use all the help that she could get. She swiftly joined her friend and started taking movies out of the box. "Do you have any special order for your movies?"

She arched an eyebrow, waited a beat, and then smirked. "Really, Honey, you should know me better than that. As long as they are on the shelf, I don't particularly care. If Jim wants to rearrange them afterwards, he can be my guest."

"True," Honey giggled. She took out a handful and placed them neatly on the shelf. A few titles caught her eye and made her giggle some more. "Hmm, I must say that your choice in movies has certainly changed over the past few years. I'm not sure if it's for the better or not." She held up a copy of _Dora Saves the Snow Princess_ and an episode of _The Wiggles _and lifted an eyebrow. "Oscar winners, I am sure."

Trixie laughed with her. "Hey, don't knock them until you've actually watched them. Really, after the fortieth or fiftieth time, you realize that they really aren't that bad. It's even worse when you realize that you can recite the dialogue and sing any of the songs on request."

Honey studied the two movies closely. "I think we may need to get you some help," she commented, only half-joking. "You can recite these?"

"And many more," Trixie shared, giggling. They made quick work of the first box and started on the next one. "I was saying the other day to Moms how much I'd like to be busier," she mentioned with a small groan. "It looks like I got my wish." The task of unpacking was a monumental one.

"You certainly did." Honey blew out a breath and slid a third box over to them. She wasted no time in emptying that one, too. "From what I've seen, it'll take you months before you have everything put away. I bet upstairs is packed as full as downstairs. I can't believe how much stuff you accumulated over the past three years."

Trixie didn't take offense. She knew her weaknesses well. "I know." She spread her hands out in supplication and laughed at herself. "I can't take credit for the furniture. That was already in the house when I moved in. But the stuff.." She gave a shake of her head, sending her curls bouncing. "That's all mine, and Lexie's, too."

"Well, I don't have to go in to work until this evening. Brian's already at work so you're stuck with me. I'll be glad to stay and help out as much as I can," Honey offered with a pretty smile. She always felt the most fulfilled when she was helping others out, especially if the person she was helping was one of her loved ones. "With both of us working we may be able to put a dent in this room, at the very least."

"Thanks, Honey. Lexie's napping, too, so that's a bonus. We should have at least an hour more before she wakes up. If we're lucky, she may even nap longer." It felt like old times, the two of them working on a project together. They could almost have been fourteen again. They fell into the old routine quickly. There were times when they worked in silence. There were also times when they laughed and joked and teased each other. It wasn't long before the movies were shelved and it was time to move on to the photo albums and scrapbooks.

"Are these shelves all right for them?" Honey questioned, pointing to the empty bottom shelves of the bookcase in the corner of the room.

Trixie nodded. It didn't matter to her where they went as long as there were more empty boxes. "You know, Honey," she began, deciding to bring up the question she had circulating through her mind, "I've been thinking a lot over past few days. Now that I'm back in Sleepyside, I'm really going to have to decide what I am going to do. I've felt at loose ends for the past few days. Everyone's been going off to work except me."

"Isn't she precious?" she crooned, only half-listening, as she was sidetracked by a picture of an adorable smiling baby Lexie. She ran her finger over the picture. Lexie looked so much like Trixie it was uncanny. "What were you saying, Trix?" she asked apologetically.

Trixie glanced up at the ceiling and chuckled, no offense taken. "I was saying that I'm thinking about going back to school and finishing out my degree. I can't be the only Bob-White without a job."

Honey stopped, album in mid-air, and let out a cheerful yelp. She jumped up, dropped the album to the ground, and threw her arms around Trixie, happy for her friend. "That's wonderful, Trixie! How are you going to do it?"

"I've started doing research on some of the on-line colleges. It doesn't make sense for me to live on a campus now. I really don't want to leave home, especially with Lexie, so I think completing it from home is my best option." The words were tumbling out fast. She was excited about the prospect of finishing her degree and then starting her chosen career in criminal justice. It would take awhile but she knew she could balance it and motherhood, too. "Now that I'm home I'd like to pursue it."

Honey's grin reached from ear-to-ear. She caught how Trixie referred to Ten Acres as 'home' a number of times in her explanation and was even more excited for her. She wondered if Trixie realized what she had let slip. "I'm even happier for you than I was when I first got here. I could tell that something was starting to bother you over the past few days but I didn't know what it was. I couldn't put my finger on it. Now I know. You've been feeling a little adrift, haven't you?"

She nodded, not surprised that Honey had been so perceptive. There were times when it seemed like the two of them could read each other's minds. "It's been a little hard to hear all of you talking about your jobs and me not being able to add much to that. I was starting to be a little envious." She blew out a breath and hesitated before bringing up the part of her plan she hoped Honey wanted to be included in. "If all goes well, it should take me a year or maybe a little more before I get my degree. Once I get my degree, I'd love to start the agency up with you."

"It really _is _a dream come true!" Honey absolutely beamed, pure sunshine and absolutely delighted. She hugged Trixie even tighter. "I'll be right there with you, Trix! Have no doubt about that."

Trixie hugged her back, relieved. She hadn't been able to guess how Honey would react and had mentally prepared herself for Honey to politely and tactfully refuse to join her in the agency. "You mean you still want to open the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency with me?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Honey practically shouted. She blushed when Trixie motioned for her to keep it down. "Oh, sorry, Trix." She cocked an ear towards the stairs but didn't hear any feet and gave a relieved sigh. "I don't think I woke Lexie up. I think we're okay."

"I was afraid you wouldn't want to," Trixie confessed, a pile of unshelved albums fanned out, forgotten, at her feet. "I thought maybe you liked nursing more and..."

Honey interrupted, her words tripping over themselves in her hurry to get them out, "Trixie, I love being a nurse. It's a lot of fun helping people and it's also rewarding, too. Plus there's the extra benefit of seeing my husband at work," she put in with a sweet smile. Then she grabbed hold of Trixie's hands and held on tight. "But I love working with you more. I always have. Just like I said, it will be an absolute dream come to true for me to finally open our detective agency. We'll have so much fun. It will be the time of our lives, I know that from the bottom of my heart. Although..."

"What is that?" Trixie asked nervously when Honey's voice trailed off.

"We're going to have to work on that name. Belden-Wheeler doesn't quite fit anymore." Honey sent Trixie a mischievous grin and her eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Yeah, I hadn't thought about that. It is outdated, isn't it? Belden-Belden is more like it now." Trixie had to chuckle. That name sounded absurd.

She shook a finger at Trixie. "Now don't laugh at that name. Belden-Belden would be good. I happen to be very fond of the last name myself, but that's not what I meant." Honey took the album out of Trixie's hands and coyly explained,"I was thinking more along the lines of The _Frayne_-Belden Detective Agency." She arched an eyebrow and waited for Trixie's reaction.

She didn't have long to wait. Another one of her damned blushes spread across her face. It seemed to be the day for them. "Ah, yes, well, we'll, I guess we'll have to see about that," she sputtered out, unsure of herself. Trixie busied herself as much as possible, hoping to forestall the sudden flow of the conversation, and spent an inordinate amount of time placing one album on an empty shelf.

Honey pulled the album away and covered Trixie's hands with hers. She wasn't going to let Trixie hide from her questions, nosy though they may be, and interjected quietly, "I believe it's time we had a little talk, Trix."

She blew out a breath and gave in with ill grace. When Honey got that tone to her voice there would be no denying her. "I see that, Honey. What would you like to talk about?" She hated asking the question. She already knew the answer.

Honey sat back on her heels, sent an arch look around the new and much-improved look to the living room, and then turned back to Trixie. "Gee, I wonder what could be going through my mind right now," she stated sarcastically.

"Sarcasm has never suited you, Honey," Trixie retorted but knew she wasn't going to get out of it. When a militant look entered her friend's eyes, she threw up her hands in defeat and sat back. "I give up, Honey. Shoot. Ask me anything you want. My life is an open book to you."

"With all that's happened to you, I bet it would be a best-seller," Honey quipped back. When Trixie only smirked again, Honey got serious. "So, now you're living at Ten Acres. Not only are you living at Ten Acres but you're living with my brother," Honey began, keeping a close eye on her friend. She couldn't mistake the blush that was back in its full, furious force and hid a smile. "How does that feel?"

Wonderful, amazing, outstanding, take your pick, Trixie thought, but she settled for, "Fine. It's fine, Honey. We survived our first night here." She prayed that would be the end of it but no such luck.

With a roll of her eyes, Honey leaned forward. "You can do better than that, Trixie Belden. I want it all."

Hoping to appease, Trixie offered a partial truth. "Lexie loves living here, Honey. I can already tell that. She fell in love with her room. She also loves living with her father. She has acclimated herself to it so quickly it's almost like we were never not living here, if you know what I mean."

"Of course I do." Only Honey could understand that statement. "But what about you, Trix? I know that your hand was forced a bit. Dan stopped by yesterday and told us how Jim moved you in without your permission. He mentioned that you, well, that you were pretty mad. Of course, that's completely understandable, given the circumstances, but, well, how are you feeling about it now?"

"I'm over my anger. You know how my temper is, Honey. It blows over just as quickly as it comes on." She stacked the photo albums and placed them on the shelf. "Besides, I got a little even with Jim. I invited my parents to dinner last night and then forced Jim and my father together."

Honey had seen the almost hostile sentiments her father-in-law recently had for her brother. She covered her mouth in shocked appreciation. "Good for you. Although I'm glad that you're living here, Jim certainly deserved that. He was rather sneaky about the whole thing."

"They got along famously well, though, so I guess it backfired on me in the end." Trixie admired the row of photo albums and reached for more.

"Well, you certainly settled a few questions I had in my mind. There's only one more." Honey grabbed Trixie's arm and looked her in the eyes. "You told me that Lexie loves living here but you've been sidestepping the other issue. How do you feel about living here?"

Trixie hesitated before adding lowly,"I love it here, too."

That was what Honey wanted to hear. Her smile was wide and sweet and her hazel eyes danced with joy. "Excellent! I couldn't be happier, Trix. Now all we need to do is get you and Jim back together as an official couple and..." She stopped when she noticed yet another blush attacking Trixie's face. "All right, all right, Trixie. Normally I wouldn't press an issue involving you and my brother but these are extenuating circumstances. You're holding out on me. What have I already missed?"

"Gleeps, I feel like a teenager again," Trixie muttered and covered her red face with her hands. It felt like her face was on fire. She had never taken it well when Honey or Di would grill her about Jim during their adolescent years.

Her eyes narrowed as Honey studied Trixie closely. It took her a second to come up with the right scenario. Her lips tilted up at the corner, impressed. It seemed things were progressing faster than she had predicted. "Good for you, Trix. You've already kissed him."

Trixie pressed her lips together and glanced up at the ceiling, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. She hated divulging personal information like this. Her eyes pleaded with Honey. "I think that's enough for the afternoon, Honey. Can we please move on to something else?"

Honey took pity on her friend. She leaned forward, squeezed Trixie's knee, and gifted her with a grand smile. "I'll let you off the hook, Trix, as long as you promise me one thing."

"What is that?" Trixie bit her lip and braced herself, unsure if she really wanted to know what Honey wanted her to do.

"Don't take it slow this time," Honey advised meaningfully. "You and Jim have lost too much time, through no fault of your own. Take what you can, when you can, but don't go as slow as you did in the past. You both deserve all the happiness you can get."

She thought back to the way Jim moved her into the house and then to the early morning kiss on the porch. Her confidence in their relationship was returning. She was becoming more certain of herself around Jim. She knew what she wanted. A soft, dreamy look entered her eyes, one that Honey had rarely seen on her friend. "I doubt that will be a problem this time, Honey. I really do."


	39. Chapter 39

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jim shaded his eyes against the bright morning sun and watched Trixie and Lexie as they watered the vegetable garden the three of them had planted together earlier in the week. Lexie's white cotton dress rippled with the light breeze. She looked like a living, breathing flower. It was hard to believe that they had been living at Ten Acres for only a week. He couldn't remember what it was like when they weren't there. It had been a wonderful week, full of enjoyable moments with their small family,as well as with the larger, extended one. It hardly seemed like a day went by without a visit from either set of grandparents or at least one fellow Bob-White. Lexie was in her glory, clearly loving living with both of her parents. He thought with a smile that she had settled into her new home with hardly a care in the world and met each day as if there was another grand adventure awaiting her. She had her mother's spirit, there was no denying that.

He loved having the two of them here and could hardly recall what it had been like before he had moved them in. The addition of Trixie and Lexie into his house had finally changed the barren, almost tomb-like house into a home. The home fairly sang with love and laughter now. He narrowed his emerald green eyes as he studied Trixie intently. She was laughing and pointing to an area of the garden that still needed watering, looking relaxed, comfortable, and if she had been born to stand on that spot of Ten Acres. There was only one thing that he needed to fix before he could say that everything was complete. He nodded. If all went according to plan, he would have it fixed by this evening.

"It's almost nine," he called out to Trixie. He had to grin when she threw him a disgusted look. She handed the watering can to an excited Lexie and trounced over to the porch, her curls bouncing around her face.

"Remind me again why I am going to this festival with my mother and Di?" she grumbled when she reached him, her lips pulled together in a pouting frown that he found irresistible. She slapped her hands on her hips and looked deliciously disgruntled. "I'm sure the arts festival is very nice and interesting but you know I would much rather be here with you and Lexie, instead of an hour and a half away."

The arts festival in the next county had been the only thing he could come up with to get Trixie away from the house for an entire day. He needed to get her out of the house in order to get everything ready, to make his plan as perfect and special for her as he possibly could. It had taken some serious pleading on his part. In fact, the only way he had been able to get Helen Belden to finally agree had been to tell her the truth. Then she had readily agreed to his request and had smoothly talked her daughter into going to the arts festival, under the pretense that it was something she really wanted to do. "Your mother misses you, Trixie. She wants to spend time with you," he explained cajolingly.

That was exactly how her mother had presented her case to her. Trixie hadn't been able to resist, even though going to the arts festival wasn't anywhere on her list of favorite things to do. It didn't even rate on her list of things she would contemplate doing if she was seriously bored. "I never knew her to be so infatuated with an arts festival," she muttered, still not pleased with the day's outing. "I wanted to say no when she ganged up on me with Di the other evening but I couldn't. I simply couldn't. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, not when I saw how important it was to her."

He had watched Helen and Di in action two nights ago at Crabapple Farm and had silently applauded the two of them. They should both have earned Oscars for their performances. Trixie had been left shocked and bewildered and hadn't stood a chance against their combined forces. Before she knew it, she had said she would spend an entire day at the outdoor arts festival with the two of them. "It's a shame Honey couldn't go," Jim offered complaisantly although the laughter dancing in his eyes belied his sympathy.

She narrowed her eyes. She hadn't missed his amusement. "Honey has to work today. Lucky duck. I wish I had work as an excuse," she grouched, chagrined, and kicked the ground for good measure.

He hid a grin. She looked like she was fourteen again. She was absolutely adorable in her disgruntlement, although he doubted she would like to hear that. "Have you thought about what you want to do?" Jim changed the subject with a sigh of relief.

"I talked about my job, or lack thereof, with Honey the other day. We came up with a good solution." Trixie walked up the steps to the front porch. She kept Lexie in her sights and watched her use up the last of the water in her watering can on one very lucky spot in the garden. The tomatoes certainly were well-watered, she thought wryly. "Honey and I want to open our agency, just as soon as I finish my degree. Now I need to decide what on-line college I want to use. I have a few brochures from some of them. Obviously, I don't want to live on a campus or anything so I'll have to take the courses at home. It will take a bit, probably a year or maybe even more, but I really want to finish my degree." She gave a shrug to her shoulder and whispered forlornly, "I'm the only Bob-White without one."

He touched her face, hadn't realized she had thought this way about her lack of a college degree. He shouldn't have been surprised. She had always felt inferior when it came to schooling. "Don't let the lack of a college degree bother you, Trix. Do what you feel is right. And I think opening the agency with Honey is definitely right for you. I can't think of anything better for the two of you." His fingers caressed her cheek, hoping to soothe away any worries or feelings of inadequacy. "Beside, if it makes you feel better, I have two degrees and I'm not using either one."

"Ah, right. Thanks, Jim." She loved the fact that she could always count on his support. She curved her face into his hand, craving his touch. She couldn't seem to get enough. Ever since that first morning at Ten Acres, they both seemed unable to stop touching the other although nothing ultra serious had occurred between them as of yet. She knew it would, though. It was only a matter of time, she thought as she watched her daughter chase a large orange butterfly across the back lawn. Lexie was the innocent culprit. They had both come to the quick realization that their daughter had an abysmal sense of timing. She had interrupted more than one critical kiss over the past week.

He leaned in, pressed an easy kiss to her lips, and lingered long enough to have Lexie giggling at them. The butterfly had led her to the porch. Jim reached down and picked her up, settling her on his hip with practiced ease. "It's after nine," he informed Trixie, tickling Lexie and making her laugh. "You should get ready. Your mom and Di will be here in about ten minutes."

Her grumbles were back, and not good-natured at all. After giving Lexie a kiss on the forehead, she stomped into the house, muttering the entire time about arts festivals, needy mothers, and her inability to say no, despite the fact that she had really, really wanted to. "Stupid arts festival," she complained each step of the day.

"Your mommy's not in the best mood," he informed Lexie, who ignored him and started playing with his watch. Jim watched her go. His smile grew wider. The first part of his plan was nearly ready to be put into action. Trixie had to get out of the house. Once she was safely on her way to the arts festival, he could start phase two. He carried Lexie into the house, hiding his impatience behind a laugh. "I think we'll change her mood by the time the day's over."

Unaware of the plans Jim was in the process of crafting, Trixie freshened up in the bathroom and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She grabbed a navy blue baseball cap from the top of the wooden cabinet and flopped it on her head, not really caring what she looked like. Good enough, she thought as she gave a careless look in the mirror. At least her face wouldn't get sunburnt. "Why did I let them talk me into this?" she moaned to herself in the mirror, her shoulders slumped. "Because you love them and you couldn't say no," she answered back truthfully. Sighing, she went out to wait for her relatives on the front porch.

Jim and Lexie were already there, sitting on the steps with a mountain of dolls and accessories at their feet. All Disney princesses were accounted for. It was an incongruous sight, Jim holding a doll with brown hair dressed in a sparkly yellow gown, and making it talk to her daughter in a high-pitched voice. Trixie bit back a laugh with a well-timed cough.

He heard her but didn't turn around. It wasn't the first time she had come across him in a less than manly occupation. He figured he had the right to look foolish if it made their daughter happy. "Don't laugh," he ordered her idly.

"I wouldn't dream of it." She sat next to him and proceeded to do just that. It felt good. She pointed to the doll. "You got to be Belle, huh?"

"I tried to wrestle Cinderella from her but you know that's her favorite doll," he replied back, straight-faced.

Trixie picked up Ariel and absently played with the dolls' long red hair. She laid her head on his shoulder, her recent good cheer fading a bit. "I would much rather play dolls with you two," she retorted wistfully.

"You'll have a good time, once you get started," he encouraged her and squeezed her knee. "You love spending time with your mother and with Di. Besides, it won't be that long before you're home again with us. Then you can play dolls all you want."

Home. She liked that. She liked that a lot. Her smile warmed her eyes, made the crystal clear blue sparkle in the way he loved the best. "Yeah. I think Moms said we should be back by five."

That should give him all the time he needed. He thought about the list of things that needed to be done. With Honey's help, everything should go like clockwork. She was waiting in the wings to assist as soon as the rest of the Belden women were gone, despite the fact that Trixie thought she was working. A small white lie had been in order. He looked towards Manor House. She was scheduled to arrive soon.

The sound of tires on asphalt came their way. She turned towards it, realized that her ride was at the bottom of the driveway. "I think they're here," she proclaimed needlessly. She slowly stood up and held out her arms. Lexie climbed right in for a warm hug. Trixie held on a little tighter than necessary. "I'll see you soon, sweetie," she murmured gently. It was foolish to feel so emotional about leaving but Trixie couldn't help it. Her heart really wasn't in the outing.

Lexie hugged her back and then plopped down on the porch with the amazing resiliency that three-year olds possessed. It didn't bother her to have her mother leave. She still had her father to play with "'Bye, Mommy," she said absently, too intent on playing with her doll. Her lips pursed as she studied Cinderella and then tried to take off her fancy blue dress. She laughed delightedly when she was able to do it. Poor Cinderella was left only in her plastic blue high heels.

"Take your time," Jim said dryly to Trixie, knowing that she would do her best to hurry the other women along. Both Helen and Di were under orders to keep Trixie occupied for as long as possible. She rolled her eyes at him and made him chuckle. When she started down the porch, he grabbed her hand, pulling her to an unexpected halt. She looked back at him, unasked questions glistening in her expressive eyes. He answered her without talking simply by pulling her back to him and giving her a long, soft kiss that had her sighing and catching her breath. He reluctantly broke it off. His voice was hoarse when he stated, "I'll see you later. Have a good time."

All ability to speak seemed to have left her, as it usually did in the aftermath of one of his kisses. His kisses always had a strong effect on her equilibrium. That never changed. She nodded dumbly and carefully made her way down the steps, afraid that if she moved too quickly she would fall..

He watched closely as she made it to her family and climbed into the back of Di's minivan. He sent a wave to Helen and Di, silently thanking them for their assistance for the day. They acknowledged him with matching smiles. He wished them the best of luck. They had the most difficult assignment. He hoped Trixie took it easy on them.

"She's finally gone?" Honey asked breathlessly from the doorway as Di drove away.

Jim jerked back, startled. "I didn't know you were here already, Honey! " he responded loudly. "You caught me by surprise."

"I've been here for the past fifteen minutes," she explained and sat down next to Lexie on the porch. "That's a nice doll," she said and picked up the abandoned Belle doll. Slender fingers tugged at the yellow dress until it was situated nicely on the doll. Sensing that there was someone else willing to play with her, Lexie crawled into Honey's lap.

Jim took his seat on the porch again, touched by the sight of his daughter sitting so closely with his sister. "Where were you hiding?" he questioned.

"Oh, out in the woods. I was too excited for today and couldn't force myself to stay at Manor House for another minute!" Honey's smile lit up her pretty face. "So I came over early and waited for Trixie to leave. Luckily Di and Helen were here on time. Silly, I know, especially since I am early, but I really was starting to get impatient."

"You're the best sister ever." Jim leaned against the porch railing. "You know I appreciate your help with my plan, don't you, Honey?"

"That's what I'm here for. I think that Helen and Di are a little envious, though. You gave Lexie and I the best part of your plan." Honey slid an arm around Lexie and smiled into her niece's cherubic face. "The two of us are going to do a perfectly perfect job for you and Trixie. By the time we're finished, Trixie won't know what hit her!"


	40. Chapter 40

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Forty

It had been a long day. All three women were tired but had enjoyed themselves at the arts festival. Di rolled the minivan to a stop at the four corners. She pulled out her cell phone and typed in a quick message, keeping one lavender eye on Trixie in the backseat and the other on the road in front of her. She didn't doubt that her sister-in-law would be questioning her.

Trixie didn't waste any time. She leaned forward. "Who are you texting, Di?"

Di smothered her laugh. It seemed like she could set a clock by Trixie's unfailing curiosity. "Oh, well, Trix, you see I'm checking in with Mart. He should have picked up Jake at my parents' house by now." It was a lie but Di figured Trixie would forgive her for it. She was really letting Jim know that they were about ten minutes away from Sleepyside, in response to his earlier request.

"I love the new painting I bought at the arts festival!" Helen broke in, hoping to draw Trixie's mind away from the text. Di wasn't the best liar in the world. She wouldn't put it past her daughter to figure out that something was amiss.

"Have you thought where you are going to hang it?" Trixie settled back into her seat and watched the scenery go by. The interstate had given away to quieter country roads. She much preferred the slower pace of the roads than the whir of the highway. It wouldn't be too much longer before they were back in Sleepyside and on Glen Road. She couldn't wait.

"Probably in the living room. It will be a good fit there." The new painting was an extremely well done watercolor. It was of a field of wild flowers flowing gently with a light wind while the sun attempted to peep out from behind a few wispy clouds. Helen had fallen in love with it immediately. That acquisition alone made the trip to the arts festival worthwhile for her.

"I like the set of wind chimes that I picked up for the cottage!" Di exclaimed happily, glad that her mother-in-law had changed the subject. She pictured the set of tin angles and the beautiful sound they made. "They will look lovely on the porch. I can hear them tinkling already."

Not surprisingly, Trixie hadn't found anything that she really wanted to purchase at the arts festival, probably because she hadn't been really looking. She had merely gone through the motions of admiring the crafts. She had quickly figured out that she needed to be busy if she wasn't to start thinking about home so she had kept up a steady stream of conversation between the three of them at the festival. "I liked the food," she put in. "You couldn't beat the soft pretzels or the kettle corn!"

"My favorite was the funnel cake," Helen chimed in. "The food is always the best part of any festival."

"Look! Here's the turnoff to Glen Road." Di announced as she carefully navigated the right-hand turn. She shared an arched look with Helen that Trixie missed. "We'll drop you off first, Trix, since Ten Acres is the closest." Di felt her lips twitch in amusement.

"Thanks, Di. I appreciate that." Trixie was itching to get home. She moved forward in her seat as if she could urge the car to get her home quicker.

In a few minutes they were pulling into the long driveway at Ten Acres. Trixie leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her mom's cheek when the car came to a stop. "Thanks for inviting, Moms. I had a very nice time," she said, and actually meant it. She squeezed Di's shoulder and then left the car without a backward glance.

"Do you think she has any idea?" Di asked Helen as they watched Trixie hurry across the front lawn and towards the wide front porch of Ten Acres.

"Not our girl. I think Jim has managed to pull yet another surprise over on her," Helen answered, chuckling. "That's not a very easy thing to do. She is our Trixie, after all. Two surprises in one week is practically unheard of."

"Way to go, Jim! She's going to be very happy soon, if I don't miss my guess. Jim didn't share with us exactly what he has planned for her but we both know it's going to be good." Di's lips pulled back into a satisfied grin. "And I'm looking forward to the free babysitting Jim promised me for getting Trixie out of the house today." She had been another one who hadn't been exactly thrilled at the prospect of spending an entire day away from Sleepyside and her family. Bribery in the form of free babysitting had worked.

Helen drew back, a little taken aback. "Jim promised you babysitting?" She tapped her finger against her chin and considered. He hadn't made an offer like that towards her. It didn't take her long to decide what her payment would be. "Well, I'll make sure I get some free weeding out of our day. I think it's the least he can do for me." It seemed like a fair exchange to her.

Trixie stopped at the steps to the front porch and waved farewell to her mother and Di, who were both laughing uproariously in the car. She tilted her head, wondered what they found so amusing, and was completely unaware that she was the topic of their conversation. With a relieved smile, she headed into the house, excited to be back. It had surprised her how much she had missed being here, even though she had only been gone for what would be the equivalent of a single work day. In the short span of a week, Ten Acres had become her home.

The first thing she noticed when she opened the front door was the overwhelming quiet. It almost slapped her in the face. It was too damn quiet. She had been expecting a little three foot hurricane to come barreling at her, chattering a way a mile a minute about her d ay. But there was nothing. No Jim. No Lexie. No Sadie. No sounds. Nothing. Her senses went on immediate alert. Puzzled, she called out, "Jim? Lex? Anyone home?" but didn't get an answer. Lips pursed, her eyes scanned the living room. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then she saw a dark blue sheet blocking the hallway to the rest of the first floor. Ever the curious one, she honed in on it and was examining it in a heartbeat. A note was pinned to the curtain.

Two words, scrawled boldly in black. She recognized it immediately as Jim's precise handwriting. "Go upstairs," she read aloud. Brows lifted, she hesitated, and went with her first instincts. Her hand reached out to push through the sheet, the need to find out what was on the other side overpowering her. But then she stopped. There was a smaller note below that said, "I mean it, Trixie. Go upstairs first." He knew her well. Trixie gave in with a good-natured laugh at herself and moved to the stairs, throwing back one last inquisitive glance at the curtain before ascending to the second floor.

Upstairs, she found a third set of directions, telling her to go to the bathroom. Shrugging a shoulder, she decided to follow the order without any complaints and felt her curiosity, ever a living and breathing thing within her, begin to grow and flourish. Her steps stopped in the open doorway. She was met with a beautiful surprise. A bath had been drawn for her, inviting her to come and relax. The tub was practically overflowing with mounds of bubbles. A few candles had been lit to add to the alluring ambiance. The bathroom itself smelled like a field of strawberries, her favorite scent. She saw a champagne flute filled with something that was very pink resting on the edge of the tub. She couldn't resist, tasted, and then chuckled. "Strawberry pop!" Who else but Jim would think to put strawberry soda in a delicate champagne flute?

The bath looked too tantalizing, too tempting, and it had been a long, hot day outside at the festival. Even though she wanted to discover the reason behind all the secrecy and subterfuge, she decided to indulge herself for a few moments, at the very least. Jim very clearly wanted her to, for some mysterious reason, and she was more than willing to set aside her inquisitive nature and acquiesce to his wishes. Stripping off her clothes, she tossed them carelessly to the ground and stepped into the bath. She settled herself down into the bubbly comfort. Her sigh of contentment could be felt all the way to the tips of her unpainted toes. It literally melted away any tension she had been feeling.

She didn't linger overly long in the bath, too curious about the reasons behind the events of her evening so far. And she really wanted to know what was behind that curtain. She stepped out of the tub, toweled off, and slipped into the powder blue robe hanging discreetly on hook behind the door.

The robe had hidden yet another message for her. Absently tying the belt around her waist, she read her next set of instructions. "Go to your room," it stated in the same bold black letters. She didn't even consider refusing and turned her feet in the direction of her room. Her anticipation began to grow. It felt like she was being lead on an exciting treasure hunt. She wondered what she would find at the end.

Her feet traveled slowly to her room, almost as if she was savoring the moment. Wide blue eyes peered around her bedroom door but didn't see anything amiss. "Why would he want me to come here?" she mumbled and then turned to her bed. All questions were answered. Laying on her bed was a beautiful dress the color of a summer twilight, caught somewhere between a deep purple or a dark blue, with traces of moonlight in the form of silver thread shooting through it. It wasn't her normal style, wouldn't have been something she would have picked out, but it called out to her. Intrigued, she walked to the bed and picked the dress up. The material was soft. She imagined it would feel like a second skin when it was on. It was sleeveless, with two thin straps to hold it up. The skirt would reach just below her knees but she saw that it had been slashed, would reveal a bit of leg when she moved.

She carefully laid the dress back down on the bed and looked at the other items that were spread out. A strapless bra and matching panties, in dark blue, a set of black thigh-high stockings, and a pair of simple black shoes with a very small heel. She picked up a shoe and inspected it, thankful that the heel wasn't too high. She was not known for her grace. "I guess these are my clothes for the evening," she decided with a nod.

Holding the dress to her chest, she turned to look at herself in the mirror on her dresser. It would do, she decided. Then a pink piece of paper grabbed her attention. "Yet another note," she muttered and grabbed it quickly, eager to see what the next note had to tell her. This one had decidedly feminine handwriting, neat as a pin and with a fancy flourish to the letters. Honey's. She knew that before she read the signed name.

_Trixie_, the note ran,

_I hope you like your clothes for the night! I took Lexie shopping this morning. She picked out the dress for you. It's not your usual style but I know you will look lovely in it. Lexie fell in love with the dress. She was also very excited about the headband. Lexie says you'll look like her favorite Cinderella! Now the necklace...that's all Jim! By the way, there's no need to worry about Lexie. She's spending the night with us at Manor House. Have a good time!_

_Love,_

_Honey_

"Headband? Necklace?' she questioned, confused. Then she caught the sparkle out of the corner of her eye. A silver headband with crystals artfully woven through it winked back at her. She picked it up, picturing Lexie's expressive face when she would have seen it in the store. It would have made her fanciful daughter think of crowns and tiaras, of fairy tales and happily-ever-afters. Trixie was simply grateful she wouldn't have to do anything complicated with her hair. "Sweet, sweet Lexie," she murmured softly and laid it back on the dresser.

Her eyes traveled to the necklace and felt her heart stop. Bittersweet tears misted briefly in her eyes. She couldn't prevent her hands shaking as she reached for it. It was her necklace, her locket, the one Mr. Carver had given her so long ago, and the one that she had to give up on that horrible and fateful night. The gold of the locket felt smooth and warm in the palm of her hand, proving to her that it was real and not a figment of her imagination. She cradled it against her heart before opening the locket. Inside, the picture of Jim she had placed in it years ago smiled back at her. She wasted no time in putting it back on its rightful place; around her neck.

And then she remembered what the rest of the note had said, in black ink and on the pink paper._ By the way, there's no need to worry about Lexie. She's spending the night with us at Manor House._ Her eyes grew larger. Lexie, her daughter of the terrible timing, was not in the house, was safely ensconced with her grandparents and Honey and Brian at the house next door. She had the entire house to herself. With Jim. For the first time ever. Without any potential interruptions. Nerves suddenly burst in her stomach, spread through her like an uncontainable wildfire. She pressed her hand to her stomach. She knew what it meant.

She shivered a bit as she dressed for the evening. Just as she had predicted, the dress fit her snugly, like a glove, showing off her petite form to perfect advantage, as well as a little bit of cleavage. She tugged a little self-consciously at the straps in an attempt to pull them up but the dress stubbornly refused to give. She gave up with a soft sigh. She slipped into the shoes and fixed the sparkling headband in her hair. Curls tumbled gloriously around her face and down to her shoulders. A little bit of lipstick and a hint of mascara and she was done. She didn't see the beautiful woman looking back at her in the mirror. Instead, she searched for flaws and reluctantly decided there wasn't anything she could do about the ones she perceived to have found. "Now or never," she proclaimed a little anxiously and she was out the bedroom door without a backward glance.


	41. Chapter 41

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic! I also don't own the song,_ When You Say Nothing At All_. That would belong to Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss. I'm using the Alison Krauss version in this chapter!

Chapter Forty-One

He heard her shoes rhythmically clicking her way down the stairs. Jim straightened his tie, took a long, deep breath that didn't do anything to resolve his own set of nerves, and positioned himself at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her. It had been hard for him to leave her alone, knowing she was upstairs and discovering his carefully laid-out surprises, but he knew the suspense would only heighten the evening. After all she had been through, she deserved more than a grand gesture. She deserved it all.

The first thing she saw was him. Only him. She immediately felt less self-conscious. He looked downright delectable in his tuxedo. The crisp white of the shirt contrasted handsomely with the black of his jacket and pants. The late afternoon light gleamed off of the dark green of the studs on his shirt. She paused on the last step, smoothing away an imaginary wrinkle from her dress.

He came to her, his own eyes feasting on the lovely lady in front of him. The dark color of the dress suited her, brought out the golden tan the spring had already gifted her with, and made her normally bright blue eyes resemble precious sapphires deep with hidden secrets. Time came to an abrupt standstill as they stared at each other, solemnly taking each other in. He didn't say anything, nor did she. Neither were willing to break the spell that had the two of them within its strong grasp. He merely held out his hand.

Trixie didn't hesitate. She placed her smaller one within his, confident to let him lead her wherever he wanted, and felt the heat of his hand travel all the way through her. How one could be seduced by one simple, innocent touch was beyond her but she was. It was hard but she somehow managed to force her feet to move off of the last step and onto the hardwood floor of the living room. She stood next to him, her head barely reaching his shoulder. She even managed to form a single word. "Jim."

"Trixie," he answered back, a slow smile turning his lips up at the corners. With his free hand he reached forward and touched the locket. It looked right. "Nice necklace."

"I like it. It's always been a favorite." Her awkwardness was fading. She resisted the urge to finger it herself. It felt good to have the necklace back. "I didn't know that you had it." She left the question unsaid.

"Dan gave it to me after he...well, after it was found." Jim didn't want the evening to be about the past or the pain or about regrets over the time that had been lost. His focus was on the here and now and what they were going to do about the promising future looming ahead of them.

She understood. Giving a small nod of shared acknowledgment, she responded quietly and with meaning, "I'm glad to have it back."

She would have something else back before the night was over. His green eyes shined brightly with a secret she couldn't begin to decipher. "You look lovely," he murmured to her, his eyes studying her with an appreciation that caused her to blush.

It had never been easy for her to accept compliments. "Who would have thought our daughter would have such good taste?" she quipped past the clump of desire threatening to choke her. She had never been able to resist him.

"I believe the first dress she picked out was rather hideous," Jim informed her with a chuckle. He recalled Honey's laughing description of it. "You are wearing choice number two. Honey had to lie to Lexie and tell her that the frilly pink dress with pretty purple polka dots and a wide, black bow at the back was not available in your size."

"Bless Honey." She shivered with mock horror. She could only imagine what the dress had really looked like. "I doubt I would have been able to wear _that_, even for Lexie's sake."

His hand settled comfortably on her waist. Slowly he guided her across the living room and came to a stop at the open hallway. She noticed that the sheet was no longer up. For once, Trixie was content to not question the motivation behind Jim's actions. He had obviously spent a lot of time and thought and put a lot of care into the evening. She was surprisingly willing to ride it out and enjoy it as much as possible. "Oh, look!" she cried out in delight at the decorations taped to the hall wall. Two long strides and she was in front of one. She peered in closer to get a good look.

"An Alexis Kathryn Frayne original," he laughed back and pointed to the pictures. "I put Lexie to work coloring after her shopping trip with Honey. I had a feeling you would appreciate the artwork." There were countless pages from her Disney Princess coloring books proudly displayed on either side of the hallway. All pages were heavily colored in, with not one color managing to stay within the lines.

"I love it. I couldn't think of anything more perfect." She couldn't. It was such a sweet touch. Even though their daughter was not there, her presence was still heavily felt. Impulsively, she stood on her tiptoes and gave Jim a soft kiss that was meant to tell him how much she appreciated his thoughtfulness but ended up damning him and his resolve.

He hadn't expected that, wasn't prepared for it, and quickly lost control. His hands held on to her waist and moved her even closer. Then he took over, moving the kiss from soft to passionate, and felt his heart rate reach a fever pitch. His lips were forceful, slanting across hers, and demanding the same of her. She met the challenge, as she always did, accepting the tongue into her mouth and returning the erotic favor with an eagerness that had him groaning with something akin to despair. Her arms threaded their way around his back and held on as tightly as he was holding onto her.

It took him a minute but he reluctantly pulled away, tamping down on the desire pounding with a vicious force through his veins. There was still much on his agenda for the evening and he didn't want to get sidetracked, not even for something so pleasurable. There would be time for that later. He'd see to that.. He leaned his forehead on hers, touched her cheek gently, and sent up a small prayer for strength. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded, although whether she meant for food or for something else, she didn't know. Words were beyond her.

He took her elbow this time and pulled her into the dining room. There, he stopped and let her admire the room. More artwork, courtesy of Lexie. Lots of candles burned brightly in the room, even though it was still daylight outside. Lovely porcelain plates that she recognized as the ones used only for ultra special occasions from the Manor House. The same delicate crystal flutes for their drinks. Polished silver that was tastefully expensive and much better quality than her silverware. And a table full of some of her favorite foods and, of course, her favorite drink.

She brought her fascinated eyes to him. "How...you...why..." She pointed to the room, appealing to him for an answer to the questions she couldn't form.

"You're articulate this evening," he chided her gently but loved her reaction. She was looking at him as if he was the most wonderful person in the entire world. It was a heady feeling and made him feel invincible, like he could take on all of the evils of the world and come out on top, just for her.

The magnitude of what he had done was blowing her away. The notes, the bath, the clothes, the decorations, and now the dinner. He had set quite a memorable scene. All had been carefully planned out. All had been carefully laid out. All for her. Her earlier resolve to be comfortable in the evening and not look beyond started to fade. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and tried again, grateful this time that words actually managed to slip past her lips, "I'm amazed by what you have done here, Jim."

Amazed was good. He liked that. He led her to the table, pulled out a chair, and ushered her into her seat. "I thought we needed to have a little time to ourselves," he answered with deceptive easiness. His eyes never left her.

She took the room in again, missing nothing with her inquisitive eyes, unaware of the intent way he continued to study her and her reaction. She picked up the linen napkin and placed in on her lap. "Honey left me a note in my room. She said that Lexie is staying with your parents tonight," she mentioned idly.

Jim had felt the fascinating ability Lexie had to interrupt them at a critical moment just as deeply as Trixie. As much as he loved his daughter and wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, it had been imperative to have her safely out of the house for the evening. But now he felt a little guilty over the decision. He gave her a small, sheepish grin. "I hope you don't mind, Trixie. I'm sorry. I didn't clear it with you first."

How could she mind? She waved her hand in the air and took a sip of her strawberry pop, settling the issue with ease. "It's good for her to spend the night with her Nana and Papa. I won't be surprised if my parents ask for her next overnight. Very soon, if I don't miss my guess."

Jim reached over and placed a helping of the beef stroganoff on her plate. "Lexie really wanted us to have chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese for dinner. She was insistent that meal was your absolute favorite," he confided to her.

"I'll bet that's what she's having for dinner herself." Another laugh welled up within her and twinkled out. "It's not my favorite, as you know, but I've made it often enough for Lexie. She believes that all meals should have either hot dogs, chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese as one, if not all, of the courses." She took a bite and sighed in deep appreciation. She couldn't make the dish that well. "This is delicious."

"I'd like to take credit for it but I can't." Jim spooned some onto his plate. "That honor goes to my family's cook. She was more than willing to cook our meal for us."

She arched an eyebrow, not surprised. He wasn't the handiest in the kitchen. "I'm glad to know that you didn't fix it."

"Hey, I'm good at manly cooking, like over an open campfire or on a grill. When it comes to the kitchen...," he left the rest unsaid. "I know my limitations." He held his hands up, graciously admitting defeat.

Despite the amazing amount of food in front of her, Trixie couldn't eat much. She participated in the conversation but those damn nerves refused to settle. Just when she thought she had them contained, a whole new set would start swirling around refusing to let her enjoy the dinner with ease. She covered her stomach with her hand. It was hard to pay attention to what Jim was saying when she couldn't get her mind past the why. Why had he gone to so much trouble? She couldn't puzzle it out.

"That was a great meal," he announced as he finished the last of the food on his plate. He had noticed that she seemed a bit preoccupied through the meal and had felt the way she had studied him when she thought he wasn't looking. It was a new experience to have Trixie wary of him. He rather liked it.

She took another small bite and put down her fork. As delectable as the food was, she couldn't force down another bite.. "I've never tasted better. Your parents must have the best cook in the state."

"They know it, too," he answered back, his own grin quick and easy. "I can't imagine what would happen if my mother ever had to cook. I think my family would mutiny." He pointed to her plate. "Are you finished?'

"Yes." Trixie nodded and looked around the table. She stood up, ready to bring her plate to the kitchen, when his hand stopped her.

"Don't worry about the dishes, Trix," he ordered her firmly and led her away from the table. "I'll take care of them later."

"Are you sure?" she questioned, looking back at the table that was filled with dishes that were practically begging to be washed. She was a well-trained Belden, after all. There was generally no excuse good enough to let dishes stay on the table, unwashed "I'm not a big fan of washing dishes, of course, but it wouldn't take too long, not with our dishwasher. That thing runs like a dream."

"Washing dishes is a little too mundane for the evening. The dishes will keep. We have more important things to take care of." They ended back in the living room. With a flick of a wrist he turned the stereo on and a soft, slow song started. His hands traveled down her arms until he had captured both of her hands in his.

The first strains of the music, the haunting voice of the female lead, and she was mesmerized. "It's our song," she announced in breathless wonder. Without hesitating, she moved in closer and laid her head on his chest, their bodies swaying in perfect harmony to the gentle music. Her arms wrapped around his wide back. She could hear the rapid beating of his heart as she matched him, slow step for slow step, and lost herself somewhere between the music and him.

_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart. _

_Without saying a word you can light up the dark._

_Try as I may I could never explain _

_What I hear when you don't say a thing._

He rested his chin on the soft curls, his arms holding her as tightly as he could, not allowing even the tiniest bit of space between them. He could smell the strawberries in her shampoo. The long, lonely years of her disappearance from his life faded completely away, never to bother him with their bleakness again. The feel of her within the circle of his arms, the warmth of her breath on his skin, the sensuous movement of her body against his, all proved to him that she was here to stay and he would never throw away the treasure of her.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me._

_There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me._

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall._

_You say it best when you say nothing at all._

Trixie could smell his familiar cologne, the same musky, masculine scent of him that always managed to intoxicate her senses. She inhaled deep, savoring the smell, and tentatively brought her eyes up to his. She gave a sharp gasp at the longing and the love she saw reflected within the emerald depths and imagined the same feelings would be revealed in hers. Slowly, her hand traveled up until she was caressing his cheek. That was all the invitation he needed. His lips descended. Before she knew it, she was once again lost in a maelstrom of the passion and desire that he stirred so easily and effortlessly within her.

_All day long I can hear people talking out loud._

_But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd._

_Old Mr. Webster could never define_

_What's being said between your heart and mine._

He never wanted to stop kissing her. Ever. She was glorious. She was his. And he would never take her granted. His hands fisted in her smooth, golden curls, pulling her head gently back. His mouth left hers to press a tiny line of kisses down her neck, to her collarbone, and then back up. When his lips met hers again, she held on for dear life. It was a kiss of aching longing and burgeoning desire.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me._

_There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me._

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall._

_You say it best when you say nothing at all._

She wouldn't let him leave her mouth again. Her lips demandedand he was more than happy to comply. Her moan was one of pure delight. She could barely breathe; he was holding her that tight, but she didn't care. Who needed air? Not her. She had all that she needed in her arms. Her hands slowly traveled across his back, urging him ever closer, while she continued to kiss him with the fountain of love pouring out of her heart.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me._

_There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me._

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall._

_You say it best when you say nothing at all._

From somewhere within the passion-induced stages of his mind, he vaguely remembered the reason for everything, what this entire evening was all about. He untangled a hand from her curls, slid it down her arm, leaving little goose bumps of shivers in his wake, and slipped it into his pocket. It took a minute of fumbling, the item was tiny, but he found it. The small gold circle felt warm in his hand. He clasped it firmly, all the while returning lingering kiss after lingering kiss to the intoxicating woman in his arms. Keeping her pleasantly occupied, he brought the small item up and placed it onto her finger.


	42. Chapter 42Final Chapter

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Chapter Forty-Two-Final Chapter

Trixie felt the motion, abruptly broke the kiss as the song came to its sweet conclusion. Her expressive blue eyes were confused and tinted with unfulfilled desire. "What..." Once again, words weren't available. Mouth slack, she could only gape at the return of the ring on her finger, her left ring finger. The golden light of the late spring evening radiated off of the diamond solitaire, making it seem to glow and glimmer as if it was a living thing instead of merely a beautiful piece of jewelry.

It was very rare to see Trixie speechless. Under normal circumstances he would have appreciated it more. But not this evening. He had more crucial things on his mind. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears; could feel the sweat on his palms; he was that nervous. Everything he needed was in this one single, solitary moment. "I found the ring the other day in Lexie's room," he got out, his emerald eyes the darkest and most serious she had ever seen them.

She held her hand up, entranced by the ring. Her ring. The one he had given to her when she was thirteen so that she could sell it and buy a horse. The one he had given to her when she turned twenty-one as they each pledged to marry the other. And now, he was giving it to her yet again. A third time in the exact same place. Ten Acres. How perfectly perfect. "Ah, yes," she responded, somewhat stupidly. It took a superhuman effort on her part but she recalled where she had placed it a few years back. "I put it in Lexie's keepsake box for safekeeping."

He watched her closely, his arm still holding her loosely around the hips. His thumb drew small circles against the smoothness of her dress, making it even harder for her to concentrate. "That's where I found it," he responded quietly. "I was looking through the box and there it was, hiding among the first lock of her hair and a pair of little pink booties.".

It hurt to think of why she had to hide it, why she couldn't wear it, during those years when she didn't have the right to be Trixie Belden and had to be someone else. "I wouldn't let them take it. That night. I hid it. I wouldn't give it up," she managed a little painfully. She slid her intent gaze up to his. Her blue eyes were vivid with remembered sorrow. "I couldn't let them take it. I wanted it. I needed it to remind me of you."

He understood the pain well. It had been his own constant companion, too. He rubbed a soothing hand down her back, more than ready to put it all in the past where it belonged and to start anew, with love, joy and happiness leading them down their path and relegating the sorrow and anguish to the dark, where it belonged. "It's yours, Trixie. It always will be."

His words sank in, as did the meaning behind the evening. Her lips felt slack. She hardly dared to hope. But hope, once so foreign to her, wouldn't leave her alone. Everything he had planned and done had for her been a set-up for... "Gleeps, Jim...oh, my...does this...I mean..." and she came to a sputtering stop, her face turning a brilliant shade of pink, and cursing herself for her clumsiness in speech.

Classic Trixie. He couldn't have asked for anything better or anything more. And he had always liked pink on her. He traced a cheekbone, his touch soft and gentle, and felt the warmth of her skin. He thought she was absolutely adorable. "You're marrying me," he informed her, unwilling to ask. Just as he told her father he was not giving her the chance to refuse. She was going to marry him. There was simply no other option.

The blush receded. Her eyes sparkled with a magnificent light that made the past three years worthwhile. Her smile was brilliant, seemed to glow from somewhere deep within her. Its warmth touched him like nothing ever had before. Without hesitating, she threw herself into his waiting and open arms. "I can't think of anything else I would rather do," she murmured into his chest, furiously blinking back a few wayward tears. There was no way she wanted to ruin this moment with tears.

His body relaxed. He hadn't realized how tense he had been. He gathered her to him, laying his head on top of hers, and released a pent-up breath of relief. The urge to laugh was unexpected. He gave in to it, needed to share his happiness with her. Long-forgotten peace settled into his very soul, healing him and making him whole once again. "No pressure but when?" he asked into her ear, more than eager to set the date and proceed with the wedding.

She pulled back within the circle of his arms, glanced at him, a little surprised. "You don't have that planned?" she asked with an arched look, only half-teasing. She wouldn't have put it past him to have the wedding all planned out, too, not after the way he had beautifully orchestrated the evening. "There's not a minister or our families hiding in the kitchen or the back yard?"

He ignored the impertinent question. "Tomorrow sounds good," he shot back smoothly. He could make it work, if she wanted. There wasn't a doubt in his mind. He could do anything in the world with her by his side.

"Yesterday would be even better," Trixie retorted with a small sigh for the time they had lost.

He nuzzled her head, unwilling to think about the past. It was time to leave that behind them. "I'm with you there. I don't think I want a long engagement or a big wedding. That's not exactly our style, is it? Besides, it took Honey forever to plan her wedding to Brian. I think Mart nearly went insane before he finally made it to the altar with Di. Is that all right with you?"

The wide smile adorning her face was her response. She couldn't have agreed more. "I like Saturday," she announced decidedly. "It's only 5 days away but I think we could do it."

So did he. He leaned forward. "May 31 it is, then." Then he captured her mouth again. As usual, the kiss started out soft and sweet but turned into something altogether different before they realized it. They moved, almost as one, clumsily down the hallway, neither willing to take their hands or lips off of the other. The path to the stairs proved to be rather perilous. Too intent on each other, they managed to stumble into the wall and a table. Reluctantly leaving his amorous ministrations for the moment, Jim caught the lamp before it tumbled to the floor. "Whoops," he exclaimed with his lopsided grin and placed it back on the table.

Breathing was proving to be nearly impossible. Unwilling to waste another minute, Trixie grabbed his hand and pulled him hurriedly towards the stairs. "We'd better be more careful."

He reached for her waist, halted her on the step. With her on the bottom step and him still on the floor, they were nearly eye-to-eye. Using her new position to advantage, he pulled her head down and gave her another series of long, drugging kisses that had her legs trembling and a small moan coming from her lips. He broke it off and chocked out, "I think we'd better hurry or we're not going to make it upstairs." He eyed the stairs, considered them, and then shook his head. "I don't think the stairs would be all that comfortable."

"Yeah." Her eyes were the widest he had ever seen them. She gave a nod of acknowledgment, her breath coming in short gasps like she had just finished a marathon. Her heart was beating out an erratic rhythm. She was surprised it didn't pound right out of her chest. Thinking it was best if she didn't touch him, probably realizing they would really find out how comfortable the stairs were then, she turned and fled up the stairs. He was a close second.

They paused in front of his bedroom. Trixie looked at the closed door, her desire momentarily forgotten, as a spear of bittersweet remembrance shot straight through her, claiming her thoughts and her feelings. It had been a long time since she had entered this room. The last time she had been in there had been the evening Lexie had been conceived, so very long ago. Looking at Jim, she wondered if he had the same thoughts in his mind.

He did. Of course, he knew what she was thinking. He cupped her shoulder, brought her closer to him, and gave her a calming hug. "It's all right, Trix. It's over. We made it through. I'm not sure how but we did," he spoke lowly and with meaning. He laid his forehead on top of hers. "But we pulled through. I think we've tempted fate enough."

She loved the feel of his arms around her. It felt so good and so damn right, making her feel loved, cherished and protected. Her eyes searched his face for the answer as she asked him hesitatingly,"We can really put it all behind us, can't we, Jim? It is time, right?"

No words were needed. In response, he opened the door to the bedroom, inviting her in. Together they stood on the threshold of _their_ bedroom. Not his alone anymore. Trixie's gaze immediately fell on the centerpiece of the room; the large sleigh bed, not particularly caring about the state of the rest of the room. She started eagerly towards the bed, Jim's hand snugly in hers.

He pulled her to a stop, a fond look to his eyes. "I hope you don't mind but I moved all of your things in here today." He motioned towards her walk-in closet.

Ever the inquisitive one, she walked over to it and peeked in. Sure enough, the closet was filled to the brim with her clothes and other items. Everything was either folded neatly on a shelf or hanging perfectly off of a hanger. It even looked to be color-coordinated. "I doubt I'll be able to keep it this neat," she proclaimed in astonishment, even more touched by the lengths he had gone to in order to show her how much she meant to him.

Hence the reason why they had decided on his and hers closets during the planning stages of the house many years ago. "I don't care what it looks like, just as long as your things are in it." Another long intoxicating kiss and he guided her slowly back toward the bed.

A long sigh, a quiet whisper and then he was following down on top of the thin summer blanket. Her long curls spread out on the small mountain of pillows, a halo of burnished gold, and the prettiest sight he had ever seen. She moved her head to get in a more comfortable position but a crinkling sound stopped her. Curious, she reached behind her head and pulled out a piece of paper, wrinkled now. Another note, written in that same bold handwriting."You know you want to," she read aloud and then burst into a fit of giggles, startled that at one of the most profound moments of her life, she was brought to a fit of delighted laughter. She hit Jim with the note, crumpled it up, and tossed it carelessly over her shoulder. It landed, forgotten, on the floor. "Rather sure of yourself, are we, Mr. Frayne?" she questioned him suggestively.

He leaned up on one elbow, sent a searing look at the woman spread out invitingly across his bed like a meal made ready for him to devour, and arched a sarcastic eyebrow. "I was hoping," he replied, straight-faced.

She laughed again. Her hand traveled to his neck, tangled in his red hair, and brought his head down towards her. "Well, I'm rather glad that you were hoping," she admitted on a sweet smile. Then she trailed a series of kisses along his neck. All thoughts of laughter evaporated quickly when he kissed her hungrily, reigniting the all-encompassing fire that seemed to always burn beneath the surface with them. Clothes were quickly shed and fell to the floor, forgotten, and were laid out in a charming disarray. The passion flared up and built until it was nearly a raging inferno between them, finally culminating in a satisfying ending as old as time itself.

Words were not necessary, not after such a rich display were the body spoke more eloquently than the mouth ever could. In the aftermath of the raging storm of desire, Trixie leaned back against his chest, her hand still caught in his, luxuriating in the shared experience, and completely unconcerned with her lack of dress. She breathed in deeply, feeling as if every bone in her body had been melted into a puddle of pure contentment. Then she turned her head and gave one solitary kiss to his chest.

He felt it, the single, solitary kiss, and held on tighter to the woman who would be his wife. He wasn't letting her go for the world. She was everything to him, he knew that with a deep truth that branded him straight through to his soul. Stunned by the overly romantic thoughts assailing him, he turned his head toward her ear and found the strength to whisper roughly, needing to share the simplest and most important one with her, "I love you."

Big blue eyes peeped up at him. "I know."

He wanted more than that. "You know?" he questioned, one eyebrow lifted. Relying on past experience, his hands found a particularly ticklish spot on her body.

She let out a burst of giggles and begged him to stop. "All right, all right, I give in," Trixie announced with good grace, rubbing away the moisture from her eyes. Her small hands framed his face, brought him closer to her. She waited until her giggles had subsided and then said, the truth of it shining through in every fiber of her being,"I love you, too."

He leaned forward, gave her back her earlier words, and had her giggling again. "I know." He held on to the amazing woman in his arms, grateful that she was the one he was destined to love for the rest of eternity. Fate was finally smiling down on them again.

.


	43. Epilogue

Tempting Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

Epilogue

Trixie's bedroom at Crabapple Farm was filled to overflowing. Honey and Di were chatting excitedly near the dresser. Helen and Madeleine were standing shoulder to shoulder, staring out the window, looking out towards the orchard and studying the folding chairs that the three handsome men were carefully and efficiently setting up. Lexie was beyond excited by it all and was bouncing in her white shoes, her blonde curls coming loose from the blue ribbon holding her hair up.

Trixie stopped in the doorway of her room, taking the chaos in with a smile on her face. She wasn't dressed yet, had just come from the kitchen where her father had persuaded her to eat a little before the ceremony commenced. "Hello, all," she greeted with a small laugh.

"Trixie!" Honey and Di called out as one and rushed towards their friend.

Due to her longer legs, Honey got to her first. She grabbed Trixie's hand and pulled her into the room, ready to get started with the preparations. She had been wondering where her friend had disappeared to. "Goodness but you're late! We've been waiting for you. It's time to get ready."

Trixie lifted her eyebrows. She still had a good hour before the official start of the wedding. It had been her plan to throw on the dress, apply a little make-up, do something with her hair, and then start the long walk down the aisle. There couldn't be much more to it than that, could there? Apparently as she looked at the faces of the women around her, there was. She suddenly felt an enormous amount of apprehension creep over her. "Really? Isn't there plenty of time?" she asked hopefully.

Di and Honey exchanged glances, as did Helen and Madeleine. They quickly came to the same conclusion. Trixie was clueless when it came to wedding preparations. "She has no idea," Di announced in a loud stage whisper. All four women could still vividly recall the hours leading up to their weddings. The hours hadn't been pretty, had been filled with more stress and tension than anything else, but the effort had all been worth it.

"It's the stress. It's got to be," Honey replied back, speaking over Trixie like she wasn't there.

Trixie looked at all of them like they were demented. Even her mother was agreeing with Honey. When her best friend motioned for her to take a seat in the chair, she sat down without arguing, trying to ignore the trepidation that was threatening to smother her. "What are you going to do to me?" she wondered a little nervously, looking at the instruments of torture laid out on the dresser. Combs, brushes, small containers of make-up, sparkly hair pins, perfume bottles...not exactly her forte. She didn't know what half of them were used for.

Honey picked up a small comb from the dresser and held it expertly in her capable hands. "Sit back and relax, Trix. We'll do all the hard stuff. All you have to do is remain calm and enjoy yourself as much as possible." She had to stifle a giggle at the small pout on her friend's face.

Interested, Lexie bopped over and stood next to her mom. She picked up a container of eyeshadow and inspected it, a line settling on her forehead. "What's this for, Mommy?" she asked curiously.

Di put her arm around the little girl. "I'll show you, sweetie." She opened up the tube and applied it to Lexie's lips, causing the little girl to chortle with happy little giggles. Di kept Lexie occupied, happily introducing her to many of the secrets of womanhood, while Honey focused on a reluctant Trixie.

*******

Outside in the orchard, the three men had finished setting up the folding chairs. All were perfectly in neat rows, facing the wooden alter that Jim had made at a moment's notice for the wedding. Mart studied the altar, noting the excellent craftmanship, as well as the ribbon, greenery and orchids that were expertly threaded through the lattice woodwork. It was an ideal place for a wedding. He could hardly believe that Trixie and Jim, with the help of the rest of the family, had been able to pull off all the preparations in such a short amount of time. Then he scanned the rows of folding chairs one more time, making sure that they were as perfectly placed as they could be. "I believe that the rows are the straightest they are going to be," he finally decided and joined the other two waiting under the deep canopy of shade of the old crabapple trees.

"You have to admit, Mart, that this is the way to do it," Brian said with a low whistle of appreciation. The wedding promised to be low key and small, the exact opposite of their weddings. Both had the experience of large, society weddings. That seemed to happen when one married the daughter of a millionaire, Brian thought with a small shrug of resignation. He could still remember the months leading up to his wedding and gave a small shiver. Although the work and stress had been more than worth it; the pleasure at making Honey his wife had never faded away; he would prefer to never, ever go through it again.

"Still a lot of work to it," Dan put in, the only one of the group to never make it to the altar. From the content look on his face, he had no plans to do that anytime in the near future. "I think the best way would be a nice, quickie wedding, preferably in Vegas. No frills, no hassles, no stress. Can't beat that, in my book."

Mart gave Dan a little push. "You'd have to find a woman stupid enough to marry you first, there, Office Mangan."

He ignored the teasing remark and leaned against a tree. Dan carefully inspected his fingers and shot an arch look at the Belden brothers. He knew how to get back at Mart. The gloating look glinting in his dark eyes warned them beforehand what he was going to say. "I believe it is May 31. I am pleased to say that I won yet another pool."

Mart's good humor deflated, just as Dan had intended. "Yeah. While I'm glad as Trixie's brother that she is joining our esteemed friend in matrimony so expediently, I have come to a certain and irreversible conclusion." He turned to his friend, a scowl on his face, and fished out two twenties from his wallet and reluctantly gave them to Dan, paying his forfeit and Di's. "I'm not ever, and I mean ever, going to place another bet with you in the room. You've taken too much of my hard-earned money over the years," he complained with a roll of his blue eyes.

"I aim to please," Dan retorted, his handsome face smiling, and gave a small shrug to his shoulders. He held his hands out in supplication. "What can I say? I guess I'm the lucky one in our little group."

Brian handed over his and Honey's fee, too, a bit more graciously than his brother. "It's got to be the Irish in you," he remarked idly. "We can't combat that. There's no other explanation. Honey thinks we should take a road trip to Atlantic City or Vegas sometime in the near future. She says you'd make a killing there and we could all benefit simply by standing next to you."

Dan sent them a lazy grin as he pocketed the money. It wasn't his heritage; it was his instincts, but he wasn't going to tell them that. He'd let them believe whatever they wanted to. "It's been awhile since the Bob-Whites went on a trip together." He motioned to the rows of chairs that were set up. "Speaking of trips...Any idea where Trixie and Jim are going after they get married?"

"They're taking Lexie to Disney Land for a family honeymoon," Mart added with a laugh and a shake of his head, clearly thinking the two of them were foolish. "Two sets of grandparents practically salivating to get their hands on their granddaughter and they opt to take her with them on their honeymoon. That is crazy, if you ask me."

"I think it's rather sweet," Brian disagreed. He couldn't imagine the two making any other decision. "Lexie's going to be in seventh heaven. Think about it. Disney Land. She's going to be able to hang out with all the princesses and assorted other characters. She's going to be floating on air for weeks to come."

They heard a car door from the front yard, bringing their small meeting to an end. It was almost show time. "Thank goodness Bobby and the Lynch twins pulled parking duty," Mart grumbled as the first of the guests started to arrive for the wedding. "I'm glad not to have to do that again."

*******

Jim stood in the comfortable kitchen at the farm, his hands deep in his pockets, and a nervous frown settling on his forehead. To him, the time couldn't go fast enough. He wished they had chosen nine o'clock in the morning instead of two in the afternoon. Then they'd already be married.

"Don't worry, son," Matthew said from the screen door, correctly reading the emotions fleeting across Jim's face.

Jim jolted, turned as his father came in the room, and gave a small laugh. He couldn't put his finger on exactly how he was feeling. Part of him wanted the day to be over while the rest of him couldn't wait to experience the wedding. It was a little confusing and disorienting. But it would be worth everything, once he and Trixie had proclaimed their eternal love for each other and they officially belonged to each other for the end of time. "I can't say that I'm worried, Dad. I'm not sure what I'm feeling."

"Weddings do that to all the grooms. It's a funny thing. A mixture of anticipation, joy, fear, nerves, happiness, and many other feelings, I'm sure. I can remember it well when I got married." Matthew moved further into the room, clapped a hand on his adopted son's shoulder. "But what I remember most is that it was one of the best days of my life. You'll remember it as such, too. I don't have any doubts about that."

Jim looked out the kitchen window, towards the orchard where he would finally make Trixie his wife. Today would certainly go down as the best day of his. There was no argument about that. "I can believe that," he agreed with feeling.

Matthew settled a hip against the counter that was covered with supplies for the meal after the wedding. There was to a be a big picnic-style celebration afterwards. He had been looking forward to this moment with his son for days. Without preamble, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small box and handed it over to Jim. His eyes became serious.

"What's this?" Jim inquired. He took the box and inspected it, with the same expression on his face that Lexie had when she was looking at something new.

"Something I found the other day in my den. I was looking through my desk and there it was, hiding at the very back of a drawer," he explained carefully. It was almost like it had been waiting until just that moment to be discovered, as if it was a sign of divine intervention. He wasn't the fanciful sort but he couldn't argue with its timing. "You should open it. I think you'll like it."

He felt the same vein of interested curiosity that ran like water through Trixie. Lifting an eyebrow, he lifted the top to the box. The sunlight glinted off of a small gold pocket watch. He stared it, unsure of its importance.

"Take it out," his father invited him. "Look at it carefully. You're smart. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out quickly why I'm giving it to you."

Jim did as he was instructed. Eyes narrowing, he inspected the watch closely. He looked at the front and the back but couldn't find anything. He flipped it open. The words inscribed on the inside cover made him choke back a startled gas as astonished surprise held him within a strong stranglehold. He looked back at Matthew, unable to question him on the why and the how.

Matthew moved in closer, read the words aloud when Jim seemed unable to. "Winthrop Frayne." He laid a comforting hand on Jim's shoulder and explained lowly, "You know your father and I went to college together. I'm not sure how but somehow I ended up with this pocket watch. He won it during our freshman year. It was an award for a writing contest, sponsored by a literacy club at our college. Your mother was so proud of him. I remember her reaction clearly. She couldn't stop laughing or smiling. I wish I knew how I got it but I can't even begin to tell you. I'm glad I have it, though."

Jim's face was filled with wonder. What a special present, on the most special day of his life. He could actually feel his parent's presence. He couldn't ask for anything more. Tears briefly gathered in his eyes. He blinked them back furiously and then gave his adopted father a strong hug. The words were small, couldn't tell all that he was feeling, but were true and heartfelt. "Thank you."

Matthew returned the hug, sent up a small prayer of gratitude for the man who had become his son, and then cleared his throat. It was time to get down to more serious things. "The clock's telling me it's almost time. We'd better get outside and in the right spot. You don't want to keep her waiting. That one has always had a temper to rival yours."

*******

It had felt like Honey and Di were never going to be finished with her. She hadn't been the most patient customer either, but, since she was the bride, she figured she had the right to grouch a bit at the primping she hadn't been expecting. "Are you finished yet?" she grumped to her best friends. Good-natured laughter was her answer.

"Stand up, Trixie." Helen brought over the wedding dress. Just as she had predicted the first morning her daughter had returned to Crabapple Farm, Trixie had asked to wear her dress. It was simple in the extreme but Helen knew it would fit Trixie like a dream, the same way it had fit her so many years ago. Soft and white, with very little lace, short white sleeves, and a skirt that hit just below the ankles, it couldn't have been a better choice for her daughter. It was feminine but not frilly. With Madeleine's help, they fit it over Trixie's head, mindful of Trixie's hair and make-up. With a quick zip the dress was on.

Honey was the first to see the nearly finished product. "Oh, Trixie," she breathed out. She looked amazingly beautiful, so unlike the tomboy she had been at thirteen. Honey had a brief flash of memory of the girl who had barreled her way into her life, becoming her best friend and now her sister, twice over. She felt the sting of tears to her hazel eyes and wiped them away with a finger. She couldn't have asked for a better gift than her best friend in the entire world. "You're so beautiful." She threw her arms around Trixie.

Di joined in the hug, unable to resist, and blissfully happy. She was always the most content when things fell into place the exact way she pictured them. Trixie and Jim finally marrying each other was the epitome of perfection for her. "This is the most wonderful day!" she proclaimed happily and with meaning.

Madeleine brought over her addition to the bride. She carefully lifted out a wispy veil from a long, thin box. The veil was long, gleaming white, and surprisingly simple, with a sparkly white comb to attach it to her hair. "Here you go, Trixie," she announced tearfully, overcome with emotion at the sight of her future daughter-in-law. She held up the veil and explained, "It's your turn now. I wore it at my wedding. Honey wore it at hers. And now it is yours." With practiced care she arranged it in Trixie's hair.

Trixie hadn't expected it. Her hand came up and held on to her future mother-in-law's hand. "Thank you," she breathed out, touched by the gesture.

With a child's undeniable need to touch, Lexie reached up and felt the smooth veil. She liked the way it felt, as well as the way it looked on her mom. "When do I get to wear it?" she demanded, a little pout to her face.

It broke the sentimental mood. Trixie grinned down at her daughter. "When you get married, Lexie. It'll be your turn then." It didn't exactly appease her but Lexie accepted it.

Helen looked at the window. She saw the beloved faces of many of their friends from Sleepyside. Mrs. Vanderpoel and Old Brom, Regan, Tom and Celia, Spider and Tad Webster, Mike, Mrs. Elliot, Chief Molinson, Miss Trask, understanding as always and who had not brought Mr. Lytell with her, the Lynches and both sets of twins, Harrison, Hans, Juliana and their children, and so many others from Sleepyside that loved Trixie and Jim like they were blood relatives. She saw Peter give her a short wave. Turning back to the other women in the group, she gave the joyful announcement, "I think it's time to get this show started."

A collective sigh of excitement met her announcement. All of a sudden, everyone was in a sudden burst of activity. One by one the women left the room, Honey taking control of Lexie, until only Helen and Trixie were left behind. The butterflies were back, a hundredfold times two, and wouldn't leave, no matter how hard she tried to make them. Helen recognized the look of panic gathering in her daughter's eyes and gathered the young woman in her arms. "Breathe, Beatrix, breathe," she ordered her gently but firmly.

The use of her given name brought her out of her funk. She exhaled loudly and laid her head on her mother's shoulder, and enjoyed the last few sacred moments when she was only a daughter and not a wife. "I can't believe this is me, that I'm really marrying Jim today," she confided quietly.

"You deserve it," her mother answered meaningfully. She caressed the side of her daughter's face and gave her a smile that was happiness touched with a little bit of sadness. As excited as she was for her daughter, it was also a little bittersweet. She was losing her daughter to the joys of matrimony today. While she had already been through it two times before, it felt different this time. Daughters were different from sons, she realized with a start. "Both you and Jim do. I can't think of two more deserving people than you two. You should both grab all the happiness that you can." She gave a small kiss to Trixie's forehead, handed her the mixed bouquet of orchids, daisies, and white roses, and tugged on her daughter's hand, much like she had to do when Trixie was five and entering the elementary school for the very first time. Just like on that day, Trixie obediently followed. "Let's go, baby. It's time for you to get married."

The small pep talk was all that she needed. She followed her mother down the stairs, ready to leave her single status behind and become entangled with Jim, forever and for always. They met her father and Lexie in the living room. Lexie was clutching a small basket of white rose petals and dancing around in circles, excited to get going and complete her job as the all-important flower girl. They had chosen to not have a best man or a matron of honor, unable to choose from the many good choices available. Instead, it was only the three of them in the wedding party. Trixie, Jim and Lexie, the Frayne Family. It was the only choice for them.

Her father hid his gasp at the woman standing in front of him. She was radiant in her loveliness. He lifted her chin with his finger, looked deep in the eyes that were still as vividly blue as the day she had been born, and felt tears prick his own eyes. Where had the time gone? he wondered briefly, recalling many treasured moments of his life with his daughter. The first time he had held her in the hospital room, when she had been tiny and new and only minutes old, to the day they brought her home, to her first smile and her first steps, taken right in this very room. He recalled the fights between her and Mart, as well as the moments in her teenage years when she had managed to somehow defy all odds and go up against hardened criminal after hardened criminal, winning each time with the unfailing aid of her friends. All the memories collided within him, one on top of the other. Pride for her burst through him. He had to force out the words past a sudden lump in his throat. "Ready to go, Princess?"

She took a deep, fortifying breath and nodded. "Let's do it, Daddy." She slid her hand into the crook of her father's arm. She kept her other arm around her daughter's shoulder.

Helen slipped out the door, the sign that they were ready. Bobby led her to her spot. The second she got to her spot the small band of string instruments began the wedding march. Lexie was the first one down the aisle. She looked adorable in her white dress with a blue bow around her waist. Her hair had nearly come undone. Tangles of blonde curls were rioting around her face, much like her mother's would have done at the age of three, while the blue ribbon that had attempted to keep the mass of hair in its place trailed down her back. Mindful of her job, she carefully dropped rose petals here and there down the aisle. When she was halfway towards the altar, she looked up and saw her father for the first time. Forgetting her job, she dropped her basket with a small yelp of happiness and barreled into her father's arms, causing more than one gasp of laughter from the small crowd.

Trixie saw it, couldn't have been more delighted, and felt her nerves flee. What was there to be nervous for? She was marrying the most wonderful man in the world. She started down the aisle, her smile bright and brilliant, while all the love she felt for Jim beamed from her eyes.

He had to catch his breath at the sight of her. She looked like a vision, like his most favored, treasured dream coming true. He had never seen her more beautiful, although he knew she would never believe it. Her had been artfully arranged, with long curls left to frame her face. The dress looked like it had been meant for her, with its simple and sweet style. He had a fleeting thought of an angel who walked among the earth before her father was willingly handing her over to him. With one hand in his daughter's and the other in the love of his life, he turned to face the minister, his heart full and at peace.

Neither remembered much of the ceremony or the vows, too content to merely stand next to the other, shoulder to shoulder, as they become one under the eyes of God and in the presence of their many loved ones. The kiss was remembered, and was met with laughter at the prolonged length. After the minister pronounced them husband and wife, loud joyous cheers fell around them and enveloped them in its warmth. Trixie gifted him with a smile glorious in its beauty, her eyes as brilliantly blue as the cloudless sky above them. It wouldn't have dared to rain on their wedding day. "I love you, Jim."

He couldn't keep the happiness he was feeling off his face or out of his twinkling green eyes. He leaned in for another kiss to the approval of all. "And I love you. Mrs. Frayne," he stressed the name purposefully. He had been wanting to say that to her since he was fifteen years old.

Mrs. Frayne. She loved it. Her hand stole around his waist before the tidal wave of guests overflowed on them with their joyful congratulations. "I can't believe we made it through," she exclaimed softly in a voice tinted with wonder at the way they were able to overcome the odds that had been stacked heavily against them.

"I can," he whispered back. "When there's a love as strong as ours, nothing can come between it or destroy it. This isn't an ending, Trix. It's only the beginning." He held on tight. They went forward to meet their friends and family, with an excited Lexie tripping at their heels. Together, the way it should be and the way it would be, for the rest of their lives.

* * *

To the Perfectly Perfect Readers,

Thank you so much for reading Tempting Fate. I had so much fun writing this fanfic. I hope you had as much fun reading it! Please know that I appreciate the time you took to read it. It means a lot to me that you did! I wish you all the best. Thank you!

Mylee


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